Aharon Barak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aharon Barak
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| אהרן ברק | |
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| President of the Supreme Court of Israel | |
| In office 13 August 1995 – 14 September 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Meir Shamgar |
| Succeeded by | Dorit Beinisch |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 September 1936 Kaunas, Lithuania |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Spouse |
Elisheva Barak-Ussoskin
(m. 1957; |
| Children | 4 |
| Parents | Zvi Brick, Leah Brick |
| Alma mater | Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Signature |  |
Aharon Barak (Hebrew: אהרן ברק; born 16 September 1936) is a famous Israeli lawyer and judge. He was the President of the Supreme Court of Israel from 1995 to 2006. Before that, he served as a Justice (judge) on the Supreme Court from 1978 to 1995. Even earlier, he was the Attorney General of Israel from 1975 to 1978.
Barak was born as Erik Brick in Kaunas, Lithuania, in 1936. He and his family survived the Holocaust. They moved to Mandatory Palestine (which later became Israel) in 1947. He studied law, international relations, and economics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He earned his law degree in 1958. From 1958 to 1960, he served in the Israeli military.
From 1974 to 1975, Barak was the head of the law department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Today, he is a law professor at Reichman University in Herzliya. He has also taught at well-known universities like Yale Law School and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.
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Aharon Barak's Life Story
Erik Brick, who later became Aharon Barak, was born in Kaunas, Lithuania. He was the only son of Zvi and Leah Brick. His father was a lawyer, and his mother was a teacher. When the Nazis took over Kaunas in 1941, his family was forced into the Kovno ghetto.
Surviving the Holocaust
Barak shared how a Lithuanian farmer saved his life. The farmer hid him under potatoes to sneak him out of the ghetto. This was very risky for the farmer. After the war, Barak and his parents traveled through several countries. In 1947, they moved to Mandatory Palestine. They first lived in a small farming community called a moshav. Later, they settled in Jerusalem.
Education and Early Career
Barak studied law, international relations, and economics. He earned his law degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1958. After serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, he returned to the Hebrew University. He finished his advanced law degree in 1963. He also worked as an intern in the Attorney General's office.
Barak is married to Elisheva Barak-Ussoskin. She was also a judge. They have four children, and all of them became lawyers. In 2009, Barak's son-in-law made a documentary film about him called The Judge.
Academic Achievements
From 1966 to 1967, Barak studied at Harvard University. In 1968, he became a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was named the head of its law department in 1974.
Awards and Recognition
In 1975, at age 38, he received the Israel Prize for his legal research. This is one of Israel's highest honors. In the same year, he joined the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. In 1978, he became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
After he retired from the Supreme Court, Barak continued teaching. He joined Reichman University in Herzliya. He teaches advanced law courses there. He also gives lectures at Yale Law School and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.
Judicial Career
Aharon Barak had a very important career as a judge. He held two major roles: Attorney General and Supreme Court Justice.
Attorney General of Israel
From 1975 to 1978, Barak served as the Attorney General of Israel. This role is like the chief lawyer for the government. He made many important decisions during this time.
Key Decisions as Attorney General
- He decided to investigate a top health services CEO for bribery. This led to the CEO being found guilty.
- He chose to continue a police investigation against a government minister. This happened even though the minister wanted the investigation stopped.
- He decided to prosecute the Prime Minister's wife for a financial issue. This decision led to the Prime Minister's resignation. Barak explained that the Prime Minister had already faced a severe consequence by having to resign.
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In 1978, Prime Minister Menachem Begin chose Barak to be a legal advisor. He joined the Israeli team negotiating the Camp David Accords. These were important peace agreements. Former US President Jimmy Carter praised Barak's skills as a negotiator.
Supreme Court of Israel
On 22 September 1978, Barak became a Justice on the Supreme Court of Israel. He was the youngest judge at the time.
Important Roles and Changes
In 1982–83, he was part of the Kahan Commission. This committee investigated a serious event where a minister was removed from his position. In 1993, Barak became the Deputy President of the Supreme Court. Then, in 1995, he became the President of the Supreme Court.
During his time on the Supreme Court, Barak greatly expanded the types of cases the court handled. He made it easier for people to bring issues to court. This meant the court could deal with a wider range of matters. One expert said that Barak helped the Supreme Court get involved in more areas of law.
Barak also pushed for new rules for how the government should act. He also set standards for private businesses. He believed that Israel's Basic Laws should act like a constitution. He called this the "Constitutional Revolution." This idea meant that the courts could challenge laws made by the Israeli parliament (Knesset). This would happen if those laws went against human rights in the Basic Laws.
Barak believed that the court should be "active." This means judges should not just interpret laws. They should also help create new laws when needed. This idea was debated a lot. One writer said that Barak saw the Supreme Court as a force for change in society. He believed it played a big role in shaping Israeli law, almost as much as the Knesset.
On 14 September 2006, Barak retired from the Supreme Court. He had reached the mandatory retirement age. After retiring, he published his final decisions. These included important rulings on various legal topics.
International Court of Justice Role
In January 2024, the Israeli government appointed Barak as a special judge. He served on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a case. This case was brought by South Africa against Israel. Barak voted against some of the temporary orders the ICJ placed on Israel. He felt there wasn't enough proof for those specific orders. On June 5, 2024, Barak resigned from this role for personal reasons.
Aharon Barak's Ideas
Barak strongly supported a court that actively shapes the law. He believed Israel's Basic Laws should be seen as its constitution. He also thought the court should be able to challenge laws made by the Israeli parliament.
His Legal Philosophy
Barak's legal ideas start with the belief that "the world is filled with law." This means that law covers everything humans do. Whatever the law doesn't forbid, it allows. So, the law always has something to say about every action.
After he retired, the new President of the Supreme Court, Judge Dorit Beinisch, praised him. She said that Aharon Barak was at the center of how Israeli law developed. She noted that he opened new ways of thinking. She said that the law after his time as President was different from before.
Some people criticized Barak for making the court too powerful. They argued that the Supreme Court under his leadership became like an "alternate government." This was because it could decide on many issues and challenge government decisions.
Barak is a secular Jew. But he believes in finding common ground with religious groups. He also supports government help for religion. His decisions on religion and state caused some religious people to disagree with him. For example, the Supreme Court ruled that religious courts must use laws from the Knesset for property disputes in divorces. This was different from using traditional religious law.
Awards and Honors
- In 1975, Barak received the Israel Prize for his work in law.
- In 1987, he was chosen as an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- In 2003, he received honorary degrees from Brandeis University.
- In 2006, he won the Justice Prize from the Peter Gruber Foundation. This award is for people who show great courage and principles in promoting justice.
- In 2007, he received honorary degrees from Columbia University.
Books by Aharon Barak
- Judicial Discretion (1989)
- Purposive Interpretation in Law (2005)
- The Judge in a Democracy (2006)
- Proportionality: Constitutional Rights and Their Limitations (2012)
- Human Dignity: The Constitutional Value and the Constitutional Right (2015)
See Also
In Spanish: Aharon Barak para niños
- Dollar Account affair
- List of Israel Prize recipients
Images for kids
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Barak's portrait at Supreme Court of Israel
