The bill to alter the composition of the committee responsible for selecting the judicial complaints commissioner was approved last Tuesday for a second and third vote in the Knesset plenum, sparking significant concern within the judicial system.
The concern within the judicial system stems from the fact that the chief rabbis are influenced by Shas, and in the context of a “full right” coalition, the secular judges fear that the chief rabbis would select a complaints commissioner who caters to the interests of the rabbinical judges while constantly undermining secular judges, particularly politically aligned judges.
The coalition’s main argument is that a public institution cannot effectively audit itself. The auditor must be independent, much the way internal affairs is separate from the police, or how the state comptroller is elected by the Knesset and not the executive branch. When the court president appoints one of his or her fellow judges as commissioner, it’s akin to the IDF relying on an internal investigation to address its serious failure.
If Israel’s judicial reforms are to move forward, as they must, then criticism of the court must be allowed. Those who oppose the reforms have nothing to fear but fear itself.