[ad_1]
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli lawyers held a leadership election on Tuesday with the goal of candidates potentially influencing the formation of a committee to select judges, the crux of a disputed attempt by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reform the courts.
the The Bar Association of Israel Provides two of the nine members of the Judicial Appointments Committee. The others are a mix of Supreme Court justices, ministers and parliamentarians that aim to encourage give and take on bench selection.
Netanyahu’s national religious coalition wants to expand the commission to give the government more influence – among reform proposals that have sparked unprecedented nationwide protests and brought unusually intense public scrutiny of the bar association’s role.
Among the candidates for the position of President of the Bar Association Amit Bashar, who openly fused with the anti-reform demonstrations, and Effie Naveh, who is close to the conservative former justice minister who advocated reining in the Supreme Court, which it considered excessive.
Netanyahu did not comment on the Bar Association elections, the results of which are scheduled to appear on Wednesday. It hit the front page of the news in Israel and saw a stream of robocalls and campaign text messages – including messages intended for non-lawyers – by at least one candidate.
combat chaos
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has come out against Bashar, calling him “a prominent left-winger, among the leaders of … the unbridled, extremist, quarrelsome and belligerent anarchy on the streets in recent months,” in remarks to reporters Monday.
Bashar denies having a partisan aim, saying that lawyers from all walks of life support his pledge to prevent “political takeover by the government of the Judicial Appointments Commission.” Naveh said that if elected, he would not be anyone’s “agent”.
Netanyahu announced he would resume judicial reform this week after it was suspended in March to enable – so far fruitless – settlement negotiations with opposition parties. They accuse Netanyahu of seeking to constrain the courts even as he argues his innocence in a drawn-out corruption trial.
The coalition argues the reforms will balance the branches of government, and on Wednesday it plans to begin work on a new bill to limit some of the Supreme Court’s powers.
the The Bar Association of Israel Provides two of the nine members of the Judicial Appointments Committee. The others are a mix of Supreme Court justices, ministers and parliamentarians that aim to encourage give and take on bench selection.
Netanyahu’s national religious coalition wants to expand the commission to give the government more influence – among reform proposals that have sparked unprecedented nationwide protests and brought unusually intense public scrutiny of the bar association’s role.
Among the candidates for the position of President of the Bar Association Amit Bashar, who openly fused with the anti-reform demonstrations, and Effie Naveh, who is close to the conservative former justice minister who advocated reining in the Supreme Court, which it considered excessive.
Netanyahu did not comment on the Bar Association elections, the results of which are scheduled to appear on Wednesday. It hit the front page of the news in Israel and saw a stream of robocalls and campaign text messages – including messages intended for non-lawyers – by at least one candidate.
combat chaos
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has come out against Bashar, calling him “a prominent left-winger, among the leaders of … the unbridled, extremist, quarrelsome and belligerent anarchy on the streets in recent months,” in remarks to reporters Monday.
Bashar denies having a partisan aim, saying that lawyers from all walks of life support his pledge to prevent “political takeover by the government of the Judicial Appointments Commission.” Naveh said that if elected, he would not be anyone’s “agent”.
Netanyahu announced he would resume judicial reform this week after it was suspended in March to enable – so far fruitless – settlement negotiations with opposition parties. They accuse Netanyahu of seeking to constrain the courts even as he argues his innocence in a drawn-out corruption trial.
The coalition argues the reforms will balance the branches of government, and on Wednesday it plans to begin work on a new bill to limit some of the Supreme Court’s powers.
[ad_2]
