Despite clashing interests and power struggles among its members, Judicial Selection Committee manages to reach agreement.
By DAN IZENBERGneeman 248.88(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Despite clashing interests and power struggles among its members, the Judicial Selection Committee managed on Friday to appoint 21 new district court judges throughout the country, promoting 18 magistrate's court judges and naming three lawyers to the bench.
The new judges in Tel Aviv District Court include Eitan Orenstein, Meir Yifrah, Yehoshua Gefman, Haim Tobi and Avi Zamir. Until their election on Friday, Orenstein and Zamir were serving on the Tel Aviv District Court as acting judges while Yifrah was an acting judge on the Central District Court.
The judges appointed to the Central District Court are Liora Brody, Aharon Makover, Jacob Sheinman, Clara Reginiano and attorney Ofer Groskopf. Brody is currently the deputy president of Rishon Lezion Magistrate's Court.
In Jerusalem, attorney Moshe Hacohen, Raphael Carmel and Yigal Mersel were appointed to the Jerusalem District Court.
Hacohen has been the Jerusalem district head of the Public Defender's Office. Carmel was serving as an acting judge on the Jerusalem District Court while Mersel is the registrar of the Supreme Court and was until now a magistrate's court judge.
Mersel, who has a doctorate in law from Hebrew University, was appointed registrar by former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak and is reportedly close to Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch. He will continue to hold that post even after his promotion.
The committee appointed five new judges to the Beersheba District Court, including Jacob Spasser, Tali Haimovich, Nehama Nezer, Yael Raz-Levi and attorney Mordechai Levy. Spasser has served as deputy president of Beersheba Magistrate's Court since 2008 while Haimovich has been deputy president of the Kiryat Gat Magistrate's Court since 2006.
The new Haifa District Court judges include Menahem Raniel, Avraham Elyakim and Bettina Tauber. Raniel has been serving as an acting judge on the Haifa District Court since 2007.
