Supreme Court Justice Yosef Elron sent a letter yesterday (Wednesday) to the Judicial Selection Committee ahead of the appointment of a new President of the Supreme Court and requested that his name be included on the list of candidates, despite not being eligible due to his relatively young age, and the country’s “seniority” system. Beyond the arguments supporting his appointment to the role, Elron took the opportunity in his letter to call for the separation of politics from the judiciary in order to restore public trust in the system.
In this regard, Elron commented on the politicization of the judicial system, noting that strengthening public trust in the courts “is tied to the Supreme Court being an apolitical, neutral institution, comprehensible to the public, and unbiased; a body that focuses on its extensive legal work, performs this work effectively and fairly, and avoids descending into the political battleground.”
Elron emphasized that “contrary to the reports about me in various media outlets, I have no connection with any political figure (referring to Minister of Justice Yariv Levin, Y.B.). I have never done anything to promote my candidacy for the position of President of the Supreme Court, other than submitting my candidacy; I have never discussed this matter or any other with the Minister of Justice and have never sought the support of any politician regarding the appointment.”
The Supreme Court Justice further articulated his stance regarding the separation of law from politics: “My view as a judge is to advocate for the separation of law from politics and the distancing of the courts from political disputes and ideological factions, which create a divide between different groups of citizens and foster division within the nation.”
