High Court to review justice minister’s power to appoint a supervisor in a criminal investigation

In a review of a decision it made last month, the High Court of a Justice will hold a hearing with a full panel of all 11 serving justices on the question of whether the justice minister is legally entitled to appoint a supervisor for a criminal investigation, when the attorney general and state attorney have a conflict of interest in said investigation.

The decision comes following a request from Israel Democracy Guard, a liberal organization, for a review hearing on the High Court’s ruling in November that the justice minister has that authority. That ruling was handed down regarding Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s decision to appoint a supervisor for the Sde Teiman video leak affair.

The selection process has been rocky. Last night, the High Court struck down Levin’s second pick for the supervisor role. In November it invalidated his first pick for the position, but upheld his right to make the appointment.

Today’s ruling, however, will not pause that selection process, Supreme Court President Isaac Amit states.

Amit sets February 18 as the date for the submission of final briefs ahead of the review hearing, and says a date will be set in the first half of 2026 for the hearing itself.

Israel Democracy Guard filed its request for an additional hearing on the matter because it argued the original ruling set an unprecedented principle enabling political involvement in the criminal prosecution process, which required greater judicial scrutiny.