Former Supreme Court justice Edna Arbel passes away

Edna Arbel, a former Supreme Court justice and state attorney, has passed away, the Israeli judiciary announced Wednesday. Arbel served on the Supreme Court for eight years, from 2004 until her retirement in June 2014 at the mandatory age of 70.

Her extensive legal career began in the Central District Prosecution, where she worked for 16 years from 1972 to 1988, eventually heading the office. She then moved to the Tel Aviv District Court before her appointment as state attorney in January 1996. During her tenure, Arbel chaired the "Prosecution 2000" committee and contributed to drafting an ethical code for prosecutors, also participating in international discussions regarding the International Criminal Court.

Arbel was involved in significant legal matters, including gathering material for the inquiry into the Sabra and Shatila massacre and writing the report on the Bus 300 affair investigation. On the Supreme Court, she authored the principal opinion in a landmark 2013 ruling that unanimously invalidated an amendment to the Prevention of Infiltration Law. The court found that the amendment, which permitted extended detention for asylum seekers and migrants, disproportionately violated their right to liberty.

The judiciary expressed deep sadness over her passing, with Supreme Court President Isaac Amit and other court officials joining her family in mourning. Funeral arrangements are to be announced separately.