# President of the Supreme Court of Israel

The President of the Supreme Court of Israel is one of the judges of the Supreme Court of Israel, who serves as head of the body, and as result has a significant impact on the judiciary system in Israel.
The previous president, Esther Hayut, retired on 15 October 2023. As a successor was not selected, Deputy President Yitzhak Amit served as acting President of the Supreme Court. He was selected by the Judicial Selection Committee as president of the Supreme Court in January 2025.

## Selection Process

In accordance with section 4(a) of the Basic Law: The Judiciary, the president of the Supreme Court is appointed by the president of Israel, according to the selection of the Judicial Selection Committee. Per law, the president of Israel does not have independent legal authority in this area, but rather he is obliged to follow the decision made by the committee. By convention, the selection is made in order of seniority, by which the longest-serving judge is designated when the outgoing president completes his or her term. Accordingly, judges appointed at a young age have a relatively higher likelihood of eventually serving as president. Several justice ministers, including Haim Ramon, Daniel Friedmann, Ayelet Shaked, and Yariv Levin have attempted to end the seniority discipline but the practice has remained unchanged.
The length of tenure as a judge in Israel is limited: section 13 of the Courts Law mandates that a judge's term concludes at the mandatory retirement age of 70. In an amendment to the courts law, approved in 2007, it was determined that the tenure of a Supreme Court president is seven years from the date of appointment, with no possibility of reappointment.
Also in the amendment to the Courts Law approved in July 2007, passed at the initiative of Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann, it was enacted that a Supreme Court president should not be appointed within three years of retirement age. However, in January 2012, the Knesset amended the law and annulled that limitation, at the initiative of MK Ya'akov Katz. The decision was known as the "Grunis Law," as it made possible for the appointment of Asher Grunis to Supreme Court president soon after its passage.

## Powers

The Courts Law of 1984 designates the following unique powers to the President of the Supreme Court:
* Various appointments of judges, such as appointment of a judge to preside in a higher position, are taken under the authority of the Justice Minister, but with the approval of the President of the Supreme Court. In some other cases it is also required for the minister to consult with the president of the court.
* The President of the Supreme Court determines the size and composition of the Disciplinary Tribunal of Judges.
* The Supreme Court typically hears cases as a panel of three judges, however, at the discretion of the President in specific cases the court may sit as a panel of a larger uneven number of Judges.
* The judge or judges presiding over a specific matter brought to the court are determined by the President of the Supreme Court.
* The President of the Supreme Court can disqualify a judge from ruling on a particular case, if the president believes there may exist a conflict of interest.
Other powers were established in the Basic Law: The Judiciary:
* The President of the Supreme Court serves as one of the members of Israel's Judicial Selection Committee.
* The President of the Supreme Court and the Chair of the Judicial Selection Committee can initiate proceedings to remove a judge from the court.
* The permanent transfer of a judge from one court to another requires the approval of the President of the Supreme Court or the Disciplinary Tribunal of Judges.
* The activities of a judge in outside employment or in a public role are permitted only by law or with the approval of the President of the Supreme Court and the Justice Minister.
* If a judge is the subject of a complaint before the Disciplinary Tribunal of Judges, or the under criminal investigation or a criminal charge, the President of the Supreme Court may suspend the judge for a length of time at his or her discretion.
In accordance with the Commissions of Inquiry Law of 1968, after the decision is made to form a State Commission of Inquiry, the President of the Supreme Court determines its composition.

## List of presidents

| No. | Name | Dates of term | Dates of term | Length of service |
| No. | Name | Start date | End date | Length of service |
| 1 | Moshe Smoira (1948–1954) | 14 September 1948 | 1 August 1954 (Retired) | 5 years, 321 days |
| 2 | Yitzhak Olshan (1954–1965) | 1 August 1954 | 19 February 1965 | 10 years, 202 days |
| 3 | Shimon Agranat (1965–1976) | 18 March 1965 | 5 September 1976 | 11 years, 171 days |
| 4 | Yoel Zussman (1976–1980) | 8 September 1976 | 29 February 1980 (Retired) | 3 years, 174 days |
| 5 | Moshe Landau (1980–1982) | 5 March 1980 | 29 April 1982 | 2 years, 55 days |
| 6 | Yitzhak Kahan (1982–1983) | 30 April 1982 | 15 November 1983 | 1 year, 199 days |
| 7 | Meir Shamgar (1983–1995) | 27 November 1983 | 13 August 1995 | 11 years, 259 days |
| 8 | Aharon Barak (1995–2006) | 13 August 1995 | 16 September 2006 | 11 years, 34 days |
| 9 | Dorit Beinisch (2006–2012) | 17 September 2006 | 28 February 2012 | 5 years, 164 days |
| 10 | Asher Grunis (2012–2015) | 28 February 2012 | 17 January 2015 | 2 years, 323 days |
| 11 | Miriam Naor (2015–2017) | 17 January 2015 | 26 October 2017 | 2 years, 282 days |
| 12 | Esther Hayut (2017–2023) | 26 October 2017 | 15 October 2023 | 5 years, 355 days |
| 13 | Yitzhak Amit | 26 January 2025 | | 2 days |
In accordance with the seniority rule, the next Supreme Court presidents are expected to be:
| # | Judge | Start of Term | End of Term |
| 14 | Noam Sohlberg | 20 October 2028 | 22 January 2032 |
| 15 | Daphne Barak-Erez | 22 January 2032 | 2 January 2035 |
| 16 | Ofer Grosskopf | 2 January 2035 | 12 October 2039 |

## Deputy president

In 1953, President of the Supreme Court Moshe Smoira fell ill, and Justice Minister Pinchas Rosen initiated the position of a permanent Acting President of the Supreme Court who could step in should Judge Smoira's condition prevent him from discharging his duties. Indeed, in December 1953, when Smoira ceased working, Yitzhak Olshan was appointed the first Acting President by the Selection Committee.
In 1984, at the initiative of Meir Shamgar, who had been appointed a judge a year earlier, the Judges Law was amended and the title "Permanent Acting President of the Supreme Court" was replaced by "Deputy President of the Supreme Court." The first person to hold the new title was Miriam Ben-Porat.
The Deputy President of the Supreme Court is subject to similar restrictions to those that fall on the appointment of the President of the Supreme Court: the term ends at the mandatory retirement age of 70; and in accordance with Amendment 45 to the Courts Law in 2007, the length of term as Deputy President is seven years without possibility of reappointment.
While the position of President of the Supreme Court is vacant and until the new president begins to serve, or if the President is out of the country, or if the President is temporarily incapacitated from fulfilling his or her duty, the Deputy President carries out the functions of the President.
The President of the Supreme Court is permitted to delegate his or her responsibilities to the Deputy President.

### List of Deputy Presidents and Acting Presidents of the Supreme Court

| # | Name | Start of term | End of term | Presidents served under |
| 1 | Yitzhak Olshan | 11 December 1953 | 1 August 1954 (Became president) | Moshe Smoira |
| 2 | Shneur Zalman Cheshin | 1 August 1954 | 29 December 1959 (Died in office) | Yitzhak Olshan |
| 3 | Shimon Agranat | 29 February 1960 | 18 March 1965 (Became president) | Yitzhak Olshan |
| 4 | Moshe Zilberg | 18 March 1965 | 16 September 1970 | Shimon Agranat |
| 5 | Yoel Zussman | 7 October 1970 | 8 September 1976 (Became president) | Shimon Agranat |
| 6 | Moshe Landau | 14 September 1976 | 5 March 1980 (Became president) | Yoel Zussman |
| 7 | Haim Cohen | 5 March 1980 | 11 March 1981 | Moshe Landau |
| 8 | Yitzhak Kahan | 26 March 1981 | 30 April 1982 (Became president) | Moshe Landau |
| 9 | Meir Shamgar | 30 April 1982 | 27 November 1983 (Became president) | Yitzhak Kahan |
| 10 | Miriam Ben-Porat | 28 November 1983 | 25 April 1988 | Meir Shamgar |
| 11 | Menachem Elon | 26 April 1988 | 1 November 1993 | Meir Shamgar |
| 12 | Aharon Barak | 1 November 1993 | 12 August 1995 (Became president) | Meir Shamgar |
| 13 | Shlomo Levin | 13 August 1995 | 20 February 2003 | Aharon Barak |
| 14 | Theodor Or | 20 February 2003 | 18 March 2004 | Aharon Barak |
| 15 | Eliyahu Matza | 23 April 2004 | 4 January 2005 | Aharon Barak |
| 16 | Mishael Cheshin | 4 January 2005 | 16 February 2006 | Aharon Barak |
| 17 | Eliezer Rivlin | 17 September 2006 | 28 May 2012 | Dorit Beinisch, Asher Grunis |
| 18 | Miriam Naor | 31 May 2012 | 15 January 2015 (Became president) | Asher Grunis |
| 19 | Elyakim Rubinstein | 15 January 2015 | 13 June 2017 | Miriam Naor |
| 20 | Salim Joubran | 12 June 2017 | 4 August 2017 | Miriam Naor |
| 21 | Hanan Melcer | 30 October 2017 | 12 April 2021 | Esther Hayut |
| 22 | Neal Hendel | 18 August 2021 | 27 April 2022 | Esther Hayut |
| 23 | Uzi Vogelman | 9 May 2022 | Incumbent | Esther Hayut |
After the retirement of Judge Salim Joubran on 4 August 2017, there was no judge serving as Deputy President until the appointment of Hanan Melcer on 30 October 2017. In accordance with the seniority rule, it was expected for Esther Hayut to be appointed Deputy President on 4 August 2017 (after Judge Joubran's retirement), but she declined and on 5 September she presented her candidacy for president as did Melcer for Deputy President.
The following table presents the judges expected to serve as Deputy President of the Supreme Court:
| # | Judge | Start of Term | End of Term |
| 24 | Noam Sohlberg | 6 October 2024 | 20 October 2028 |
| 25 | Daphne Barak-Erez | 20 October 2028 | 22 January 2032 |
| 26 | Ofer Grosskopf | 22 January 2032 | 2 January 2035 |