From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Herzog mediating between Levin and Vogelman over High Court president impasse
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President Isaac Herzog is mediating between Justice Minister Yariv Levin and acting High Court President Justice Uzi Vogelman in a bid to break the impasse over appointing a permanent president for the court, the Israel Hayom daily reports.
The position of president has been vacant since Esther Hayut retired last October, and Vogelman has served as acting president ever since, a situation unprecedented in the history of the court.
The position of president has always gone to the justice with the most years on the court, but Levin opposes this system and seeks to appoint a justice who will push the court in a more conservative direction.
The report says Levine has already rejected a proposal to appoint Michael Rabello, a lawyer who has represented Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party, as a Supreme Court justice in exchange for agreeing to the seniority precedent.
Herzog’s office later confirmed he was mediating.
“The president has called publicly several times in recent days to make every effort to reach a compromise regarding appointments in the judicial system, including the appointment of a permanent president to the Supreme Court and the appointment of the missing judges,” his office said in a statement.
The Times of Israel Community.