Supreme Court Justice Faces Serious Conflict of Interest Allegations Over Fee Increase
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ronen is under scrutiny after approving a significant increase in legal fees for a law firm where a senior partner is officially listed as disqualified from cases she oversees. The controversy emerged from a recent civil appeal involving the prominent law firm Amit, Polak, Matalon & Co., where Ronen was part of the panel that doubled the firm's attorney fees from 1.5 million to 3.5 million shekels in a class-action lawsuit.
The key issue is that Sharon Lovitzky-Hass, a senior partner at the same firm and head of its litigation and class-action departments, is ranked second on Justice Ronen's official recusal list, meaning Ronen is barred from hearing cases involving her. Despite this, Ronen participated in the ruling that significantly increased the firm's earnings, contradicting Supreme Court guidelines aimed at limiting excessive fee awards in class actions.
This decision came months after the original ruling in October 2024, when the district court had awarded the firm 1.5 million shekels. The Supreme Court's approval of the appeal effectively added two million shekels to the firm's compensation. The connection between Ronen and Lovitzky-Hass raises complex questions about judicial impartiality and adherence to recusal protocols.
Following the report by journalist Arel Segal on Channel 14, the broadcaster sent an urgent inquiry to the Courts Administration seeking clarification on whether Ronen disclosed the potential conflict before the hearing, if the issue was examined, and whether any official documents approve this exception. The Courts Administration responded that the recusal applies personally to Lovitzky-Hass and not to the entire firm, emphasizing that Lovitzky-Hass did not represent the firm in the case nor appear before Ronen.
The case highlights concerns about transparency and conflict of interest management within Israel's highest judicial body, with further investigations expected to follow.
