Petition to Levin: Supreme Court judges violating conflict of interest

The Movement for Governability and Democracy appealed to Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Supreme Court Justice Uzi Fogelman, demanding to prevent "an acute conflict of interest and damage to the appearance of justice of the Supreme Court judges in the Judicial Selection Committee."

The appeal comes amid the participation of Supreme Court judges who are members of the committee in the debate and vote on the election of judicial candidates with whom they have close relations.

The organization pointed out that among the candidates for justice, there are Supreme Court registrars and former assistants to the Supreme Court justices. Among the candidates, two former assistants to Judge Dafna Barak Erez and a former assistant to Judge Yitzhak Amit. Both Barak Erez and Amit are members of the Judicial Selection Committee.

Contents of the appeal 

The Movement for Governance and Democracy appealed to Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Supreme Court Chief Uzi Fogelman, demanding to prevent "an acute conflict of interest and damage to the appearance of justice of the Supreme Court judges in the Judicial Appointments Committee."

Regarding the appointment of Supreme Court registrars for female judges, the Movement wrote, "All of the judges of the Supreme Court, who are members of the Judicial Appointments Committee, are in clear and sharp conflict of interest while harming the appearance of justice, creating a clear obstacle to their participation in the discussion and voting.”

The Movement also added that "Judges Barak Erez and Yitzchak Amit are in a sharp and extreme conflict of interest that goes to the root of the integrity of the appointment process" of Lior Mashali Shlomai, Judith Dori Stone and Roy Ragosberg who served as their legal assistants.

"It is unthinkable that the members of the committee will vote and take part in the issue of selecting judicial candidates - with whom they have a close and daily working relationship and a close personal acquaintance in the present or in the past that creates an acute and extreme conflict of interest and damage to the appearance of justice that goes to the root of the integrity of the procedure and fatal damage to the public's trust in the court ", wrote attorney Yisaka Bina from the Movement.

Bina wrote to Levin and Fogelman that the organization’s appeal letter constitutes an exhaustion of procedures before a petition to the court, and added: "You are required to order the prevention of the participation and facilitation of the voting of the sitting Supreme Court judges, the members of the committee for the appointment of judges for the candidacy of registrar Azoulai and Shali Shlomai, as well as to order Judge Barak - Erez not to participate in the discussion and vote regarding the candidacy of lawyer Dori Daston, as well as to instruct fellow judge Amit not to participate in the discussion and vote on the candidacy of lawyer Roy Grossberger."