Levin requests extension for appointing Supreme Court chief, citing claims against Amit

Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter

Justice Minister Yariv Levin attends a plenum session in the assembly hall of the Israeli parliament on November 13, 2024. (Chaim Goldbergl/Flash90)
Justice Minister Yariv Levin attends a plenum session in the assembly hall of the Israeli parliament on November 13, 2024. (Chaim Goldbergl/Flash90)

Justice Minister Yariv Levin requests a further extension from the High Court of Justice to the January 26 deadline he was given to appoint a new Supreme Court president, saying fresh allegations of misconduct against the leading candidate, acting president Isaac Amit, require an investigation.

The Supreme Court, sitting in its capacity as the High Court, has ordered Levin three times to appoint a new president, the latest of those on January 16, when it gave him the January 26 deadline after allegations of misconduct were raised against Amit.

New allegations this week that Amit has sat on cases in which he had conflicts of interest prompted Levin to demand answers from Amit, and an investigation into the accusations by the Judicial Selection Committee’s legal adviser attorney Leah Rakuver. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara ordered Rakuver not to conduct an investigation however, and instead to pass the allegations and Amit’s responses to the charges to the Judicial Selection Committee — which appoints the Supreme Court president — for it to review and decide.

“Under these circumstances, it is not possible to place the responsibility on the minister to convene the committee at a time when his discretion over the issue has been revoked, and when [convening the committee] contravenes his obligation of duty to the public and his conscience,” Levin’s attorney Tzion Amir tells the High Court.

He says in addition that administrative regulations do not permit the Supreme Court president to be appointed until the allegations are clarified.

Levin therefore asks the court to delay the appointment of a president until a “proper process of examining the reports” can be completed.

The justice minister adds that even if the court does not agree to an examination process, it should still grant more time to make the appointment to allow the Judicial Selection Committee time to review the problems.

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