Knesset committee head finalizes draft of controversial bill to change Judicial Selection Committee

Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chairman MK Simcha Rothman sends a final version of a controversial judicial overhaul law, which would change the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee and how it appoints judges, to members of his committee, ahead of votes to send it to the Knesset plenum.

Committee members can send objections to the bill by 3 p.m. today, and a date will then be announced to begin voting on the bill in committee for approval for its final readings in the Knesset.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and the Constitution Committee’s legal adviser have both strongly criticized the bill, saying it would politicize the judicial selection process and thereby politicize the judiciary as a whole and undermine its independence.

These officials have also panned a deadlock-breaking mechanism for appointing justices to the Supreme Court if the Judicial Selection Committee cannot come to an agreement over such appointments, saying it would severely polarize the court and enable the appointment of extreme figures to Israel’s top court.

Three former Supreme Court presidents, Dorit Beinisch, Esther Hayut and Uzi Vogelman, have all denounced the legislation.

Despite the criticism, and proposals by the attorney general and the Constitution Committee’s legal adviser to modify the legislation, almost no changes were made to the initial draft of the bill in the version sent to committee members.

Rothman, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and other proponents of the bill argue that the judiciary has too much control over judicial appointments and that by giving politicians greater control the measure would redress what they say is this imbalance.