Sydney Beth Din rejects calls for resignation
The Sydney Beth Din has echoed The Rabbinical Council of Australia and New Zealand in rejecting calls for the resignation of any of its members to resign following their failure to overturn a guilty verdict on committing contempt of court.
The SBT stated: “Such calls are misguided and are based on a complete misunderstanding of the Halachic imperatives under which the Beth Din operates as well as a complete misunderstanding and indeed misrepresentation of the legal issues involved. The Beth Din is of the opinion that the source of some of these calls, and the distortions contained therein, are mischievous and the motive is simply to undermine the Beth Din and the Orthodox Rabbinate. In this and other matters, no Rabbi should ever be expected to resign for upholding legitimate Halachic principles.
The issues of freedom of religion that are still to be resolved deserve not to be clouded by a media feeding frenzy. The Beth Din is gratified by the tremendous support it has received from many, including senior members of the Australian and Israeli Rabbinate as well as from members of the legal profession both in Australia and from Overseas.
The Beth Din has also received significant support from members of the legal profession and the Rabbinate who are urging it to take this matter to the High Court. The Beth Din and its legal advisors are still considering its options in that regard and can, therefore, make no detailed comment on the circumstances of this case.”
The members of the Beth Din, Rabbis Moshe Gutnick, Michael Chquiri. Yoram Ulman and Eli Schlanger appeared in Sydney’s Supreme Court facing an injunction to prevent them imposing religious sanctions against an observant businessman involved in a $5 million dispute and refused to appear to before the Beth Din preferring a secular court.