Key Knesset panel advances bill changing how judiciary ombudsman picked

The Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee votes in favor of a bill dramatically changing how the state ombudsman for judges is chosen, advancing the legislation to its first reading in the Knesset plenum.

The committee rejects requests to revise the language of the bill and decides to push it forward less than a month after the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, ignoring legal objections by the Attorney General’s Office, voted to give the government’s backing to the controversial legislation.

The ombudsman provides oversight and investigates complaints against judges and has until now been chosen by the Judicial Appointments Committee — a body that includes representatives of the High Court, Knesset, and Bar Association — following a joint nomination by the justice minister and the president of the High Court.

Under the new legislation, the ombudsman would be appointed by the president following a vote in the Knesset, with representatives of the judicial system cut out of both the nomination and selection process. Instead, a group of 10 lawmakers or the justice minister would be empowered to nominate candidates.