MK Moti Kastel (Likud), reporting from the Supreme Court Sunday morning, said the High Court of Justice's direction in the hearing on the judicial selection committee reform is a 'scandal' and that the justices intend to bury even the minimal remaining reform. The expanded 11-justice panel opened hearing petitions against the Levin-Saar compromise law, which would replace Israel Bar Association appointees with Knesset-chosen jurists.
MK Moti Kastel (Likud), who is both a member of the Knesset and reporting from the Supreme Court on Sunday morning, delivered sharp criticism of the High Court of Justice's handling of the judicial selection committee reform hearing. Speaking from the courtroom, Kastel said: 'This is a scandal! Already from the first hour of the hearing, one can understand which direction the justices are headed. Even the minor amendment — the smallest remaining piece of the judicial reform — they want to bury. A small clique that appoints itself. The rule of clerks in the State of Israel.'
The expanded 11-justice panel, led by Chief Justice Yitzhak Amit, opened the hearing Sunday morning to review petitions against the Levin-Saar compromise law. As The Zioneer reported at 09:32, the amendment would remove Israel Bar Association representatives from the Judicial Selection Committee and replace them with Knesset-chosen jurists, and eliminate the judges' veto over Supreme Court appointments. Chief Justice Amit opened the session by asserting the court's authority to review and invalidate Basic Laws, citing the reasonableness standard ruling as precedent.
The hearing follows a series of earlier sessions this week: The expanded panel first convened at 09:08 Sunday, and earlier in the week the court issued a conditional order regarding the separate Knesset vote for state comptroller, prompting sharp responses from coalition MKs. The court is currently awaiting the Knesset's response on the comptroller matter by Sunday.
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