Supreme Court Chief Says Politicians, Not Lawyers, May Need Removal from Judicial Appointments Panel

Supreme Court President Justice Yitzhak Amit said during a High Court of Justice hearing that his reading of the earlier Affair involving Efi Nave suggested the real source of power on the judges selection committee was the politicians on it. He said that without the politicians, Nave could not have done anything on his own.

According to Amit, the committee members at the time included Minister Ayelet Shaked, Minister Moshe Kahlon, and lawmakers. He argued that someone who understood that episode could reach the opposite conclusion from the current amendment debate, saying, "Maybe two politicians should be removed from the committee, not lawyers."

The High Court is hearing petitions challenging a Basic Law amendment that would prevent members of the Israel Bar Association from taking part in deliberations of the committee for selecting judges.