Israeli top court hears first challenge to judicial overhaul

Thousands took part in protests on Monday. Pic/AP

Israel's Supreme Court on Tuesday opened the first case to look at the legality of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's contentious judicial overhaul - deepening a showdown with the far-right government that has bitterly divided the nation and put the country on the brink of a constitutional crisis.

In a sign of the case's significance, all 15 of Israel's Supreme Court justices are hearing appeals to the law together for the first time in Israel's history. A regular panel is made up of three justices, though they sometimes sit on expanded panels. The proceedings were also being livestreamed.

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Netanyahu launched the overhaul early this year. Proponents of the plan say the country's unelected judiciary, led by the Supreme Court, wields too much power. Critics say the plan will concentrate power in the hands of Netanyahu and his allies.

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