Tova Zimuky
Ynet News, Jan. 26, 2025
“This means that the judicial system, which requires joint administrative decisions by the minister and the president, will not be made.”
The Judicial Selection Committee appointed on Sunday High Court judge Yizhak Amit as permanent Chief Justice. The vote on the 14th president of the Supreme Court comes after a series of delays over 15 months since the previous court president, Justice Esther Hayut, retired from the position.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who serves as the chairman of the committee, boycotted the discussion, as did coalition representatives Minister Orit Struck and Knesset lawmaker Yitzhak Kreuzer. After hours of discussions in their absence, the most senior judge on the Supreme Court, Amit, 65, was elected to the position. The vote followed the tradition of elected the most senior justice to assume the presidency.
Amit was prevented from participating in the discussion since it dealt with his appointment. In addition, the committee voted to appoint Justice Noam Solberg, 63, to the position of deputy president of the Supreme Court.
Amit is accused by Levin and others of presiding over several cases in which he had conflicts of interest , after a Yediot Acharonot investigation found that he appeared in the cases involving a property he owns in Tel Aviv together with his brother under an assumed name. The hearing was held after the high Court ordered Levin to allow it to meet in order to appoint a president, after the Justice Minister refused to allow the committee to meet as he attempts to reform the judicial system. … [To read the full article, click here]