Rights10/12/2026

The Justice Ministry Under Yariv Levin: Judicial Appointments and the Confrontation With the High Court of Justice

The author of the Zman.co.il article, Yoram Katz, summarizes the Justice Ministry’s activities under Yariv Levin and sharply criticizes the changes he is advancing in the judicial system. The analysis focuses on changing the method of appointing judges, relations with the Supreme Court and legal advisers, and the growing shortage of judges.

Key facts

•The reform plan was presented on January 4, 2023
•The decision on the reasonableness doctrine: 8 justices to 7
•Yitzhak Amit was elected in January 2025
•The High Court of Justice ordered the committee to be convened on May 31
•The shortage in May — 51 judges
•An additional 35 new positions were not filled

The Plan for Changes

On January 4, 2023, Levin presented a plan that included changing the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee, abolishing the reasonableness doctrine, limiting judicial review of laws, and weakening the status of legal advisers. The author of the Zman.co.il article describes the plan as an attempt to subordinate the judiciary to the government; its supporters call it a judicial reform. In January 2024, the High Court of Justice struck down, by a majority of eight to seven, the amendment that abolished the reasonableness doctrine, and 12 of the 15 justices recognized the Court’s authority to strike down a Basic Law.

Appointment of Judges and the President of the Supreme Court

According to the article, during Levin’s tenure, the Judicial Selection Committee convened only a few times and did not convene at all for approximately a year and a half. In January 2025, Yitzhak Amit was elected president of the Supreme Court after a delay of more than a year in convening the committee, but Levin declared that he did not recognize the election. In March 2025, a law was passed changing the committee’s composition and strengthening the role of politicians; it is due to take effect after the elections unless the next Knesset repeals it.

The High Court of Justice Ruling and the Shortage of Judges

On May 31, the High Court of Justice unanimously ordered Levin to convene the committee, while giving priority to appointments in the Beersheba and Haifa District Courts. According to the allegation in the article, the minister called the ruling unlawful from the outset and did not convene the committee. In May, the courts were short of 51 judges, and by the end of 2026 the shortage could, according to the calculation cited, reach 65 judges; in addition, 35 new positions remained unfilled.

The Dispute Over Legal Advisers

In March 2025, Levin participated in efforts to advance the dismissal of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. On December 14, 2025, a seven-justice panel of the High Court of Justice unanimously struck down the government’s decision after finding that the process had been unlawful. The bill mentioned in the article also makes the legal advisers’ opinions nonbinding, allows the government separate representation in the courts, and places the ministries’ legal advisers under the authority of the justice minister; it is scheduled to take effect in January 2027 unless the next Knesset repeals it.

What this means for you

The shortage of judges could lead to longer waits for hearings and decisions for people and organizations turning to Israel’s courts. Changes to the method of appointing judges and the status of legal advisers could affect the balance between the government and the judicial system. However, the article is the author’s analysis, not a court ruling or an official report by a government body.

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