During Sunday's High Court hearing on the law to change the Judicial Selection Committee, Justice Uzi Vogelman asked Supreme Court President Isaac Amit's representative, Justice Yosef Stein, whether the reform would create incentives for district court judges to write rulings favored by politicians in order to reach the Supreme Court. Stein acknowledged the concern, according to Amit Segal (N12).
Sunday's High Court hearing on the law to amend the Judicial Selection Committee continued to probe the implications of removing Israel Bar Association representatives and eliminating the judges' veto over Supreme Court appointments. In an exchange reported by Amit Segal (N12), Justice Uzi Vogelman pressed Justice Yosef Stein — representing Supreme Court President Isaac Amit — on whether the new composition would create perverse incentives for district court judges.
"Within 15 years, every judge would have a political chip implanted," Stein reportedly said, echoing President Amit's own warning earlier in the session that purely political appointments would reshape the judiciary within 15 years. Stein acknowledged that a district judge aspiring to the Supreme Court might tailor rulings to please political actors.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Sunday (10:21), President Amit cautioned that under the reform, "every judge will carry a political chip," and questioned whether such a system preserves judicial independence. The hearing, convened with an expanded 11-justice panel, opened at 09:08 and has included discussions of the court's authority to review Basic Laws.
The reform, passed in March 2025, replaces Israel Bar Association representatives with Knesset-chosen jurists and eliminates the existing judges' veto power over Supreme Court selections. The court has yet to rule on the petitions.
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