High Court to hear petition against Levin over Judicial Selection Committee freeze

Israel's High Court of Justice is set to hear a petition challenging Justice Minister Yariv Levin's management of the Judicial Selection Committee, with numerous judicial posts remaining vacant. The hearing will focus on whether Levin can proceed with appointments in stages or if the court should compel him to hold votes for all vacant positions.

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The court should order him to bring vacancies across the judiciary to a vote.

The petition, filed by the Movement for Quality Government in July 2025, urges the court to order Levin, who chairs the committee, to convene it for necessary appointments across the judiciary. Levin, however, stated in a recent affidavit that he has already facilitated nearly 200 appointments of judges and registrars through broad agreement and is now urgently working to fill trial-court vacancies.

Petitioners argue that Levin has unlawfully linked further appointments to a broad consensus among committee members, even when not legally required, leading to significant staff shortages in various parts of the judiciary. The urgency of the case is amplified by the approaching elections, which typically freeze ordinary judicial appointments, leaving a narrow window for the committee to act.

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He has already advanced nearly 200 appointments of judges and registrars through broad agreement, and was now moving “urgently, efficiently and decisively” to fill trial-court vacancies.

In February, the High Court issued a conditional order demanding Levin explain his inaction. Following a May 3 hearing, justices ordered him to provide a timetable for appointments in magistrates' and district courts, deeming his previous update insufficient. Levin's latest affidavit outlines a limited plan, prioritizing juvenile, traffic, and family courts, as well as magistrates' court vacancies in northern districts, with committee meetings tentatively scheduled for late June.

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Levin has unlawfully tied further appointments to a broad consensus among committee members, even where the law does not require it, leaving large parts of the judiciary short-staffed.

Levin attributes earlier delays to a minority of committee members whose actions he claims "torpedoed" efforts to reach an agreed list of appointments. He maintains that his current plan represents a significant response to the judiciary's needs, despite the delays caused by the war with Iran and subsequent home-front emergencies.

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efforts to reach an agreed list of appointments had been “torpedoed” by some Israel Bar Association members.