The High Court of Justice convened Sunday morning with an expanded panel of 11 justices to hear petitions against the Knesset amendment altering the Judicial Selection Committee's composition, according to Israeli media. The amendment, passed in March 2025, removes Israel Bar Association representatives and replaces them with Knesset-chosen jurists, and eliminates the judges' veto over Supreme Court appointments. Chief Justice Yitzhak Amit opened the session by asserting the court's authority to review and invalidate Basic Laws.
The High Court of Justice opened a landmark hearing Sunday morning, convening an expanded panel of 11 justices—not a full 15-justice panel as previously reported—to hear petitions against the Knesset's March 2025 amendment altering the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee. The amendment, a flagship reform pushed by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, removes two representatives of the Israel Bar Association from the committee and replaces them with jurists chosen by the Knesset, while also eliminating the veto power of Supreme Court justices over new appointments to the court.
As The Zioneer reported at 07:08, the court was initially set to hear the case with an expanded 11-justice bench. Chief Justice Yitzhak Amit opened the proceedings by asserting the court's authority to review and invalidate Basic Laws, citing the 2024 ruling that struck down the reasonableness-standard abolition as precedent. If the court intervenes here, it would mark the second time a Basic Law has been struck down, following that earlier precedent.
MKs Tali Gottlieb (Likud) and Karin Elharrar (Yesh Atid) were present at the court as the hearing began, according to Israeli media. The hearing addresses a long-running standoff between Levin, who insists on reaching broad consensus before convening the committee, and the court, which demands immediate appointments without further delay. The outcome of this hearing will likely define the boundaries of judicial review over Basic Laws in Israel.
4 developments
- StrongChief Justice asserts High Court can strike Basic Laws as 11-justice panel hears selection reform
- DevelopingMK Kastel slams High Court direction in judicial selection hearing as 'scandal'
- StrongHigh Court panel named for 'Ravelo' petition
- DevelopingSupreme Court justices named for Yesh Atid petition to disqualify state comptroller vote
Source and signal
- Internal intake