The crisis affecting us all: "This is life itself. When a judge is overloaded, all decisions are delayed"

The dispute between Justice Minister Levin and Supreme Court justices has led to a critical shortage of judges, and the price is paid by the ordinary citizen: up to two years wait for a hearing, and criminal appeals are heard almost at the end of the prison term. "They are finishing off people, it's a tragedy for the state," says a retired Supreme Court justice.

The dispute between Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Supreme Court justices has led to a critical shortage of judges, and the price is paid by the ordinary citizen. Throughout the tenure of the Netanyahu government, no judges were appointed to the Supreme Court, and currently four out of 15 judges are missing. The result is severe damage to public service: the average wait for a civil case hearing is now 18.4 months, compared to 14.4 months in 2023. Criminal appeals are heard after 11.8 months, close to the end of the prison sentence. Retired Acting Supreme Court President Uzi Fogelman says, "Delay of justice can amount to a miscarriage of justice." A retired Supreme Court justice adds: "They are finishing off people, it's a tragedy for the state." The article notes a drastic increase in the number of proceedings filed in court, from a stable level of about 10,000 proceedings per year to about 14,000 in 2026, and a sharp rise in petitions to the High Court from 1,651 in 2023 to 5,432 in 2026. The article is the first in a series on the dysfunction of government ministries.

The crisis affecting us all: "This is life itself. When a judge is overloaded, all decisions are delayed"