Israeli Attorney General Seeks Supreme Court Freeze on Police Investigations Reform Law

The Israeli Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, has requested the Supreme Court to immediately halt the implementation of a controversial law restructuring the Police Investigations Department (Mahash). The law, known as Amendment 45 to the Police Ordinance, establishes a new unit to investigate police officers and Shin Bet personnel, with administrative oversight transferred to the Ministry of Justice. Baharav-Miara's petition demands freezing appointments, the formation of the new unit, and budget allocations until the court issues a final ruling, and ultimately calls for the law's complete annulment.

The petition was submitted amid petitions filed by several organizations, including the Movement for Quality Government, the Academia for Israel's Democracy, retired senior police officers, and the Israel Bar Association. The Attorney General argues that the law effectively creates a new investigative and prosecutorial body with broad powers vulnerable to political influence, undermining professional independence. She warns that ongoing appointments during the election period risk entrenching political control over the unit for years.

Central to the dispute is the law's expansion of jurisdiction to include civilians connected to investigations involving police and Shin Bet personnel. The new unit will be led by a director and a coordinator empowered to resolve conflicts between the Attorney General and the unit's management. The Attorney General cautions that simultaneous operation of the existing Mahash and the new unit could cause organizational chaos, hamper sensitive investigations, and deter recruitment and retention of staff.

She further contends that freezing the law will not cause significant harm since the current Mahash can continue functioning as before, whereas advancing the law now could cause irreversible damage if it is later invalidated. The Supreme Court must now decide whether to suspend the law's implementation pending its final judgment on the petitions.