Defying High Court, Levin to convene Judicial Selection Committee but refuses to appoint district judges

Justice Minister Yariv Levin is set to defy an order from the High Court of Justice by convening the Judicial Selection Committee but refusing to appoint district court judges as the court ordered.

Levin recently issued a notice to members of the committee informing them that he will convene the panel on Sunday to deliberate on the appointment of judges to magistrates’ courts, traffic courts and family courts in the northern district, and possibly magistrates’ courts in the southern district.

But on May 31, the High Court ordered Levin to “take the necessary steps” to appoint district court judges, specifically to the Haifa and Beersheba district courts where there is an acute lack of judges, and ordered him to publish candidates’ names by June 8, which Levin has failed to do.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, whose petition to the High Court prompted the original court order, filed a motion for a contempt of court order against Levin earlier this month due to his refusal to advance the judicial selection process for district court judges.

Levin has refused to convene the Judicial Selection Committee for a year and a half, seemingly because he does not have a majority on the panel to ensure his preferred candidates get selected.

As a result, there are 51 vacancies on the country’s various magistrates’ and district courts, a number that will rise to 67 by the end of the year. Once the Knesset is dissolved for elections next month, making judicial appointments will become even more difficult, meaning that the courts’ case burden will increase even further.

And after the next elections, the government’s judicial appointments legislation will come into effect, which gives politicians from both the coalition and opposition veto power over lower court appointments. The High Court is, however, reviewing that legislation, and appears poised to strike it down.