Former Supreme Court justice Edna Arbel, who served for eight years as state attorney before joining the bench, died on Wednesday, the judiciary announced.
Arbel was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2004 and retired on June 22, 2014, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
She spent 16 years in the Central District Prosecution, from 1972 to 1988, becoming head of the office during her final four years there. She was then appointed to the Tel Aviv District Court, where she served until 1996.
In January 1996, Arbel was appointed state attorney. She also filled in as acting attorney-general in the attorney-general’s absence.
During her time in the prosecution service, Arbel chaired the “Prosecution 2000” committee and a committee that drafted an ethical code for prosecutors. She also took part in international discussions in Rome, The Hague, and Strasbourg concerning the International Criminal Court.
Arbel was part of the team that gathered material for the commission of inquiry into Sabra and Shatila. She also wrote the report of a committee appointed by the attorney-general following the police investigation into the Bus 300 affair.
She later taught criminal law and criminology at Tel Aviv University and Ono Academic College.
Arbel's contribution to Israel's Supreme Court
On the Supreme Court, Arbel authored the principal opinion in the High Court’s 2013 ruling that struck down a 2012 amendment to the Prevention of Infiltration Law. The nine-justice panel unanimously ruled that the amendment, which allowed for the lengthy detention of asylum seekers and migrants, disproportionately infringed on the right to liberty.
The judiciary said Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, the court’s justices, court presidents, judges, and employees joined Arbel’s three daughters and family in mourning. Funeral arrangements will be announced separately.