For the first time since the current government was formed Minister of Justice Yariv Levin has agreed to convene the Judicial Selection Committee.
Minister of Justice Yariv Levin today announced that he will convene the Judicial Selection Committee in another 15 days for the first time since the current government was formed. Levin stressed that there is no room in the current situation to deal with controversial issues, including the appointment of judges, and he will only make “decisions that have a broad consensus.”
Section 7 of the Courts Law states that if the Minister of Justice deems it necessary to appoint a judge, he must convene the Judicial Selection Committee. The Minister of Justice, President of the Supreme Court or three committee members can propose names of judicial candidates. Thus, the decision of which appointments to bring to the vote is not under Levin’s sole authority. The practice is that the person who heads the committee – the Minister of Justice – determines the work procedures, but the law gives the authority to the entire committee.
Currently, there are eight members of the Judicial Selection Committee: Justice Minister Yariv Levin, MK Yitzhak Kreuzer (Otzma Yehudit), MK Karine Elharrar (Yesh Atid), Supreme Court Justices Uzi Fogelman (acting president since Esther Hayut retired), Yitzhak Amit and Dafna Barak-Erez, as well as Israel Bar Association representatives Muhamad Naamneh and Ilana Seker.
Prior to the formation of the current government, Fogelman had declined to become Supreme Court president because he himself is due to retire in October 2024. But Levin’s refusal to appoint a new president has meant that effect he has become the president.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on November 5, 2023.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2023.
Minister of Justice Yariv Levin credit: Marc Israel Sellem Jerusalem Post
