Levin demands 'very broad agreement' on judicial appointments

• Published date: 18 April 2024
• Author: ELIAV BREUER
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Levin, who spoke at an induction ceremony for newly appointed magistrate court judges and registrars, led the government's controversial judicial reforms in 2023

One of its key components was to alter the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee such that the governing coalition would have a majority and thus control judicial appointments.

Who are the current members?

The current makeup includes nine members: Levin, fellow minister Orit Strock, coalition MK Yitzhak Kreuzer (Otzma Yehudit), opposition MK Karine Elharrar (Yesh Atid), three Supreme Court justices, and two members of the Israel Bar Association.

All judicial appointments besides for the Supreme Court require a simple majority, and critics of Levin have argued that his insistence on "broad agreements" was de facto an insistence on appointing judges that were acceptable to the three members of the coalition.

In his speech, Levin said that "it is no secret that there are more than a few disagreements in the question of judicial appointments and the correct way in which to execute them.

"Precisely because of this, and facing the reality of the war, I saw utmost importance in insisting that all of the appointments be made with a very broad agreement," Levin...