David Parry, at The Blogs

Oct 10, 2023, 12:57 PM

Hamas’s greatest achievement was to unify Israel

The flag of the State (photo by the author)

When we saw the brutal slaughter of hundreds of teenagers and young people at a dance party, the murder of children in the arms of their helpless parents, the desecration of bodies, and the abduction of babies and old...

Jul 17, 2023, 8:41 PM

Abolishing legal unreasonableness is not undemocratic – it’s just absurd

Does the government think so little of its ability to make sound administrative decisions that it wants a license to make absurd or irrational ones? The answer, it seems, is yes. “Legal unreasonableness” is a well-established ground for judicial review...

Mar 26, 2023, 6:03 AM

Government appointment of judges isn’t ideal – but it’s not the end of democracy

The author signing the judicial affirmation of independence at Government House, Perth on 17 June 2011

I was appointed as a judge by the government, but I routinely decided cases against the government. Both of these things can be true. During the first four years of the modern state of Israel, the government directly appointed judges....

Mar 12, 2023, 2:57 PM

What would Begin do? – Lessons for Netanyahu and Lapid

When I first visited the Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, I left depressed and despondent. This was not a reflection on the Center itself – it is an outstanding experiential museum and a must for anyone interested in Israeli...

Feb 27, 2023, 10:33 AM

Why I protested – The perspective of a former Australian judge

For about 16 years, I was the only kippah-wearing judicial officer in Australia. As a Jewish judge in a non-Jewish state, I was enormously conscious and proud of what my kippah symbolized – a 3,300 year old tradition which...

About Me

The author was a Judge of the District Court of Western Australia for over 10 years and was concurrently a Deputy President of the State Administrative Tribunal of that State for nine years. He and his wife made aliyah in March 2022.