On January 4, 2023, Israel?s Minister of Justice Yariv Levin introduced a comprehensive plan for an overhaul of the Israeli judiciary. The four elements of the initial state of the reforms, according to Levin, would include a limitation clause that would restrict the ability of the courts, and especially the Supreme Court, to conduct judicial review of Knesset (Israel?s unicameral parliament) legislation. It would also provide the government control over the selection of judges; cancel the `standard of unreasonableness? used for evaluation of alleged administrative corruption; and transform the attorney general and ministerial legal advisors into political appointees. The proposed reforms are strongly opposed by the President of Israel?s Supreme Court and by the Attorney General and have triggered a fierce debate and massive public protests.
This webinar will provide an overview of the constitutional framework in Israel, the system of checks and balances, and the current law regulating the judicial branch. The webinar will address the objectives of the proposed reforms, their main components, and their possible impact on the legal system. Information on the current status of the reforms will similarly be provided.
The webinar will be presented by Ruth Levush, senior foreign law specialist in the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress.