Levin to Convene Judicial Appointments Panel, but Not as the High Court Ordered
Justice Minister Yariv Levin is expected to convene three meetings next week of the Judicial Selection Committee, which has not met for about a year and a half. The sessions will focus on appointing judges to the traffic, family, and juvenile courts, part of what Levin calls a “comprehensive reform” to significantly improve public service in those areas.
Levin had already said in April that the appointments were urgent, but the committee still was not convened, even after the High Court of Justice ordered him to do so. Instead, Levin said he would not comply with the ruling, which told him to prioritize appointments to the district courts in Beersheba and Haifa, despite severe staffing shortages there. He called the decision “unlawful” and accused the judges of “creating a constitutional crisis.”
Under Levin’s plan, the number of judges in traffic courts would rise by 24% to reduce heavy backlogs and delays in rulings. He said the move was “essential” for handling many serious traffic accident cases. Family courts would get about 15% more judges, and juvenile courts would gain 26% more positions. The names of the candidates were published in the official gazette about two months ago.
The High Court has also called on Levin to convene the committee to fill dozens of missing judicial posts across the system, but no meeting has been set for the remaining appointments, including district court judges in Beersheba, Haifa and other cities. Officials estimate that the Knesset’s dissolution will likely prevent the committee from meeting on those cases. Last month, during another High Court hearing on the broader shortage of judges, Levin’s lawyer, Zion Amir, told Justice Ofer Grosskopf, “Why does that trouble you?” and argued that the court should not interfere with the minister’s discretion. This week, the committee issue resurfaced in High Court hearings on petitions against one of Levin’s key judicial overhaul laws, which bars Israel Bar Association representatives from participating in committee deliberations. Levin said the Knesset must “put an end to the seizure of its powers by the court,” and added that the High Court has no authority to intervene in Basic Laws.
