First reading of judicial reform passes amid debate on security impact
The first of several proposed judicial reforms passed its first reading in the Constitution Law, and Justice Committee session on Monday morning.
The committee voted 9-7 in favor of the proposal to reform the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee.
Israeli Deputy Attorney-General Gilad Noam has warned that the reform could harm Israel by allowing international legal bodies to accept petitions against Israeli soldiers.
This could happen by compromising the independence of the judiciary. Under a principle called complementarity, a state that has an independent judiciary is considered to have the priority in reviewing criminal proceedings against individuals.
If the reform leads to a compromised judiciary, bodies like the International Criminal Court could decide that they have priority instead.
If the legislation passes, there will be nine members of the committee: five ministers and MKs from the governing coalition, one MK from the opposition, the Supreme Court president, and two retired judges appointed by the Justice Minister. The Justice Minister would also serve as the committee chair.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
