The High Court of Justice on Thursday issued a temporary injunction to a petition filed by the Movement for Quality Government in Israel (MQG), ordering Justice Minister Yariv Levin to explain why he was
not refusing to convene the Judicial Selection Committee to appoint a new president and justices for the Supreme Court.
The MQG argued that the justice minister refuses to convene the committee under improper motives and intends to harm the independence of the judiciary and the system of checks and balances.
Also, for the first time in Israel’s history, Levin ignored the tradition of choosing the oldest judge for the position of president of the Supreme Court.
A hearing on the petition will be held on July 2 where Levin will be required to explain his conduct and justify why he is not complying with the law’s provisions.
Movement for Quality Government's petition
Attorney Hiddai Negev, Head of MQG’s Policy and Legislation Department said that “the speed with which the High Court issued its conditional order indicates the gravity of the situation and the urgent
need to stop the damage to the foundations of democracy.”
“It seems that the justice minister is determined to continue the political takeover of the judicial system and continues to act in bad faith and for extraneous considerations aimed at undermining public trust
in the judiciary,” he said.