Overview
- The High Court annulled Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s appointment of retired judge Yosef Ben Hamo to oversee the Sde Teiman/MAG inquiry, ruling he does not meet the court’s senior civil servant requirement.
- Court President Yitzhak Amit noted the record lacked a factual basis for claiming no qualified civil servant was available, and Justice Wilner warned that temporary outsiders risk serving as a minister’s emissary.
- An expanded panel of all 11 justices will convene in early 2026 for a full‑bench hearing on whether the justice minister may assign a state employee to accompany criminal investigations in conflict‑of‑interest situations.
- The additional hearing will address the broader legal question rather than the particulars of the MAG case, according to the court’s order.
- The ruling follows last month’s disqualification of Levin’s earlier nominee, retired judge Asher Kula, and it drew sharp criticism from Levin and Likud representatives.