Aharon Barak

Laureate Profile

Aharon Barak, retired President of the Supreme Court of Israel, is renowned for championing an activist judiciary and the rule of law and democracy. During his term, the Supreme Court issued rulings that protected democracy both from terrorism and from the means the state wanted to use to fight terrorism. Under Barak’s leadership, the Israeli Supreme Court interpreted Israel’s basic law as its constitution and, when necessary, challenged Knesset laws on that basis.