Coalition Moves To Strip Bar Association Off Key Powers After Unfavourable Election Outcome

Israel's ruling coalition prepared to advance a bill voiding the Israel Bar Association (IBA) of much of its authority, just hours after anti-judicial overhaul candidate Amit Becher won the race to become the association's new head this week.

• A bill sponsored by Likud MK Hanoch Milwidsky would remove the IBA's right to license lawyers and could remove its participation in the Judicial Selection Committee (JSC). The IBA currently has two representatives in the panel tasked with appointing Israeli judges.
• The government was counting that a victory of Becher's rival Efi Neve could pave the way for filling IBA's two seats in the JSC with pro-judicial overhaul representatives, which would allow for assuming greater control over the judiciary without having to advance some of the contentious legislation.
• The bill proposed by Likud would transfer some of the IBA's powers to the Lawyers Council, headed by a former District Court judge directly appointed by the Justice Minister. The new body would be dominated by government appointees.
• According to the Times of Israel, Milwidsky's bill will be discussed at Sunday's meeting of the Ministerial Committee of Legislation and could come to the Knesset floor as soon as next Wednesday, if it gets greenlighted.