Top Israeli court to hear appeal on key judges' panel in September

[July 27, 2023]  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Supreme Court will in September hear arguments against the government's failure to convene a panel for selecting judges which has been at the heart of a constitutional crisis, the political watchdog group behind the appeal said on Thursday. 

Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin addresses the Knesset plenum following a vote on a bill that would limit some Supreme Court power, in Jerusalem July 24, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo

The Supreme Court website showed a Sept 7 hearing of the Movement for Quality Government in Israel versus Justice Minister Yariv Levin, architect of a disputed judicial overhaul.

Among proposed reforms is an expansion of the Judicial Appointments Committee to give the government more sway over picks for the bench. Amid opposition protests, that bill was suspended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March.

Despite a growing roster of unfilled court positions, Levin has declined to convene the committee in its unchanged format.

(Writing by Dan Williams; editing by James Mackenzie, William Maclean)

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