State Attorney will not interfere in Efi Nave’s Bar election campaign

The State Attorney's Office and Attorney-General's Office will not issue an ethics complaint to the Israel Bar Association ethics committee against former Bar head Efi Nave over his run in the attorney organization's June 20 election, the Justice Ministry spokesperson’s division said on Wednesday night.

The State Attorney's Office said an appeal filed to the High Court of Justice by the Movement for Quality in Israel last Thursday calling for the bodies to issue complaints against Nave should be rejected.

The statement said that MQG had other remedies to the situation, such as a petition to the Administrative Affairs Court.

MQG claimed that Nave should not be allowed to run again for the Bar chairmanship because of his past sex-for-judgeship scandal and a criminal conviction.

Accusations against Nave 

In 2019, Nave was accused of having sexual relationships in exchange for his support in them or their husband's elevation to a judge position. Legal proceedings were dropped for lack of viability in court in 2021.

Nave also was convicted in 2022 for sneaking his partner past customs border security at Ben-Gurion Airport in 2018. The State Attorney's Office said Wednesday was that Nave could still appeal the verdict, which made disciplinary punishment premature.

Protests were organized against Nave on Wednesday night by a faction of anti-judicial reform protesters, who argued that if Nave was reelected, he would harm the legitimacy of the Bar and ensure its removal from the judicial selection committee.

In recent weeks, the controversial former Bar head will release a flurry of advertisements for the upcoming election.

On Thursday, he called for increased supervision of the State Attorney's Office.

The Bar association said on Wednesday that 77,201 lawyers are set to vote on June 20 at 106 sites in 67 towns.