Rothman Resubmits Over 85 Bills, Pushing Judicial Reform

Simcha Rothman, the outgoing Chairman of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, has reintroduced more than 85 bills in the 26th Knesset immediately after its swearing-in. Over 20 of these proposals focus on the justice and law enforcement systems, many of which are part of the "Law and Justice" plan he championed in previous Knessets. Key judicial reform initiatives among the resubmitted bills include splitting the Attorney General's role, limiting judicial review of Knesset laws, altering the appointment process for legal advisors in government ministries, and reinstating parliamentary immunity for Knesset members, a mechanism in place until 2005.

Seven other bills that advanced to the preliminary reading preparation stage in the previous Knesset have also been resubmitted. These include a Basic Law: Override, which would allow only the Supreme Court, with a unanimous decision of all its justices, to overturn a Knesset law. Another proposal seeks to regulate procedural rules through legislation or Knesset committee approval. Additionally, a bill granting the state the right to appeal acquittals in criminal proceedings has been reintroduced, alongside a proposal to limit the duration of police investigations and prosecution handling of cases before indictment.

Further initiatives aim to prevent conflicts of interest by allowing external prosecutors to investigate the Attorney General and State Attorney. Another bill proposes that Supreme Court hearing panels be determined by computer without human intervention. A previously approved bill requiring the publication of family court rulings with anonymized details, which passed the Constitution Committee in the prior Knesset but was not brought to a plenum vote, was also resubmitted.

Beyond those that had already progressed, Rothman has put forth additional proposals that had not yet undergone preliminary plenum discussion. These include limiting standing in petitions to the High Court of Justice (Bagatz) and making the positions of legal advisors in government ministries trust appointments of the relevant ministers. The resubmission of these bills signals Rothman's intent to continue advancing legislative changes to the justice system in the 26th Knesset, mirroring his efforts in the previous one. However, the mere reintroduction of the bills does not guarantee their progression from their previous stages.