Israel - March 2025

On 27 March, the Knesset passed a law reforming the Judicial Selection Committee (JSC), the body responsible for appointing judges, in a way that increases political influence over the judicial appointments process and is likely to undermine judicial independence. The reforms increase the number of political appointees on the JSC from four to six, by replacing two representatives of the Bar Association members with a representative appointed by the government and another by the opposition. Additionally, the law lowers the majority required for Supreme Court nominations from 7-2 to 5-4. However, it requires at least one member from both the coalition and the opposition to agree on appointments, effectively granting each side veto power. The opposition, which boycotted the final vote, has petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the law. Civil society groups protested outside the Knesset against the law, which is set to take effect in the next Knesset term, following general elections scheduled for late 2026.

Sources: Knesset, The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post (1), The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, International IDEA, The Jerusalem Post (2)