Supreme Court Orders Chief Justice Amit to Pay Legal Costs

In an unusual decision on Monday, a panel of Israeli Supreme Court justices ordered Chief Justice Yitzhak ("Isaac") Amit to pay NIS 4,000 in legal expenses to a petitioner. The ruling came as part of the dismissal of a petition filed by Michal Dorot Halevy against Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Justice Amit, who was the second respondent.

The court, comprising Justices Daphne Barak-Erez, Yael Willner, and Gila Kenfy-Stein, declared the petition "exhausted" and ordered its deletion. However, alongside this dismissal, they issued the separate order compelling Justice Amit to cover the petitioner's costs.

In their decision, the justices cited several factors for the cost order. They acknowledged the complexity of the case, the background detailed in the petition, the efforts made to find a candidate for a position, and the fact that no hearing was held. Conversely, they also weighed the significant time elapsed since the petition was filed and the expenses the petitioner claimed to have incurred.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, the first respondent, was not ordered to pay costs. Justice Amit was represented by attorney Moria Freeman, while Ohana was represented by attorney Yitzhak Bart. The ruling was issued on August 31, 2026.