High Court orders Levin to say whether he intends to tap new head of police-probing unit before election

The High Court of Justice orders Justice Minister Yariv Levin to tell it whether he intends to fill the positions of head of the Department for Internal Police Investigations (DIPI) and disputes arbitrator for the unit — which are now vacant as a result of legislation passed by the coalition last month overhauling that agency — before the upcoming election on October 27.

The High Court says Levin’s update to the court must be made in reference to “established case law governing appointments during an election period.”

The High Court has ruled on several occasions that the government should not make senior appointments during an election period, but has said that exceptions can be made when the appointment is indispensable and there is no other reasonable alternative.

The deadline for applications for the position of DIPI chief has been extended several times, and now expires on August 16, meaning the appointment will likely be made during the election campaign.

The legislation overhauling DIPI is highly controversial since it gives the justice minister effective control over the appointments of the DIPI director and arbitrator, which critics, including the attorney general, have said will politicize law enforcement and therefore severely and immediately endanger civil rights in the country.

The High Court’s orders to Levin comes in the framework of petitions filed against the legislation by government watchdog groups and the Israel Bar Association.