Bill to give justice minister the authority to set bar association fees clears first reading

A bill to transfer authority for setting the Israel Bar Association’s membership to the justice minister clears its first plenum reading, with Knesset lawmakers voting 55-53 to advance the legislation.

Israel Bar Association chief Amit Becher has accused Justice Minister Yariv Levin of using the bill to blackmail him into having the bar’s representatives vote in favor of appointing Supreme Court justices that he supports.

Arguing in favor of the bill, Levin has claimed that the IBA and its leadership engage in behavior “in complete opposition to the interests of the lawyers and the overall public interest,” and alleged that the organization was using membership fees to fund luxury getaways “in wartime under the guise of professional training.”

Critics have claimed that the Bar Association bill is part of a wider effort to resurrect the contentious judicial overhaul plan.