This week, the Knesset’s Constitution Committee approved resuming discussions on the proposal to change the structure of the Judicial Selection Committee. The proposal was part of the Judicial Overhaul in early 2023; it is now being revived with slight revisions (the Levin-Sa'ar Proposal). Per this proposal, the two representatives on the committee from the Bar Association will be replaced with politically affiliated lawyers (one from the coalition and one from the opposition), and the majority required for selecting Supreme Court justices will be reduced from 7 to 5, which would eliminate the veto power of Supreme Court justices in the committee.
The Association for Civil Rights opposes the new version of this proposal. In the position paper we sent to the Constitution Committee, Attorney Gil Gan-Mor, director of the Civil and Social Rights Departments, argued that this proposal would weaken the separation of powers and judges' independence, and consequently, the right to a fair trial. Additionally, the proposed amendment would impair judges' ability to protect human rights, and would undermine judicial professionalism and the public trust. Gan-Mor also addressed several legitimate criticisms of the existing judicial appointment system ,and explained why the current proposal would not address any of the any of the issues—and, in certain cases, would exacerbate them.
ACRI Position Paper (Heb)