BICOM

The Judicial Selection Committee yesterday announced four new appointments to Israel’s Supreme Court, seemingly shifting the 15-member bench to a more conservative, less activist position.

The new Supreme Court members will be Justices David Mintz, Yael Willner, Yosef Elron and George Kara. The first three are considered to be on Jewish Home Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked’s preferred list of candidates.

UK-born Mintz, a Jerusalem district judge is a resident of the Dolev settlement in the West Bank. Elron, the president of the Haifa District Court, is known for his non-activist stance. Willner, an Orthodox Jewish woman, is also from the Haifa District Court and is thought to be favoured by Shaked. Kara, a Christian Arab judge at the Tel Aviv District Court who ruled in the conviction of former President Moshe Katsav, is thought to be have been favoured by the Israel Bar Association.

The Judicial Selection Committee is comprised of nine members – two cabinet members, two Knesset representatives, three Supreme Court representatives and two representatives from the Israel Bar Association. At present, new appointments must be approved by a special majority of seven, requiring a degree of compromise between judicial and legislative representatives.

However, Shaked and Supreme Court President Miriam Naor clashed sharply in November, over a bill supported by Shaked, which calls for a return to the system prior to 2008 when a simple majority of five is was required. A return to such as system would give the Knesset committee representatives’ votes greater weight.

Shaked’s Jewish Home party and several other right-wing politicians have accused the Supreme Court of being too liberal and interventionist over Knesset legislation.

Shaked welcomed yesterday’s appointments, calling it “a historic day… the flagship boat of our judicial system changed its direction tonight”.

Although Naor’s preferred candidates were not appointed, she said: “I wish the best to all those who were chosen today to serve as judges in the Supreme Court, we will welcome all of them warmly.”

Naor, as well as justices Zvi Zilbertal, Salim Joubran and Elyakim Rubinstein will leave the Supreme Court over the next year as they reach the mandatory retirement age, prompting yesterday’s appointments.