Court asks Levin whether he will advance PID picks by election

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, August 5, 2026

The Israeli High Court has asked Justice Minister Yariv Levin to clarify if he intends to make senior appointments in the newly independent Police Investigation Department before the October 27 elections. The court's decision will determine whether these appointments proceed amid ongoing legal challenges that argue delaying them is necessary to avoid limiting the incoming government's authority.

The Israeli High Court of Justice has requested that Justice Minister Yariv Levin clarify whether he plans to advance senior appointments within the Police Investigation Department (PID) prior to the upcoming elections on October 27. The court has set a deadline of Sunday for Levin and the Attorney-General’s Office to inform it of their intentions regarding appointments created under a recent law restructuring the PID.

The new legislation, enacted by the Knesset in June, separates the PID from the State Attorney’s Office, placing it directly under the Justice Ministry as an independent entity. The department is tasked with investigating alleged criminal conduct by police officers and prosecuting cases that arise from these investigations. Advocates of the change argue that the previous organizational arrangement posed a conflict of interest, as prosecutors overseeing police misconduct investigations were also closely involved in routine criminal cases alongside police personnel.

The High Court’s inquiry specifically seeks to determine whether the government intends to appoint the PID’s director, members of the committee responsible for selecting that director, and a retired judge charged with coordinating investigations concerning police officers. The court order was issued by a panel consisting of Chief Justice Isaac Amit, Deputy Chief Justice Noam Sohlberg, and Justice Daphne Barak-Erez. It was prompted by three petitions challenging the department’s restructuring.

The petitions were submitted by the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, the Academia for Democratic Israel along with other petitioners, and the Israel Bar Association. These groups have requested that implementation of the law be suspended pending judicial review.

While Israeli law does not categorically forbid appointments during an election period, the courts have historically urged caution, particularly with respect to senior or long-term appointments that may constrain the discretion of an incoming government. Exceptions apply when positions must be urgently filled or delay would cause significant public harm.

The High Court stated that it will decide how to proceed with the petitions only after receiving Levin’s response regarding the timing of the appointments. For now, it is assessing whether immediate judicial intervention is warranted based on the government’s plans.

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