Court Delays Hearing on Judicial Appointments

The High Court of Justice on Friday granted Justice Minister Yariv Levin an extension to respond to the temporary injunction that requires him to provide justification for not convening the judicial appointments committee.

Initially, the court had ruled that Levin’s preliminary response, which included a 28-page government response along with 30 pages of appendices, would serve as his response to the injunction. However, Levin expressed his dissatisfaction with this, claiming it deviated from regular procedure and silenced him. In response, the court allowed Levin the option to submit an additional response. Consequently, the scheduled hearing for Tuesday was canceled, and Levin now has until Oct. 9 to submit his response.

While a new date for the hearing has not yet been established, the judges have indicated that it will take place no later than Oct. 23. This timeline aligns with the retirement dates of one of the judges on the panel, Anat Baron, and the president of the Supreme Court, Esther Hayut.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara clarified that the injunction issued against Levin adhered to court procedure but also emphasized that Levin had the opportunity to submit a response if he chose to do so.