ISRAEL’S Supreme Court on Tuesday delayed the first of three pivotal hearings on the legality of the judicial overhaul proposed by the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu.

This came after the country’s attorney general expressed staunch opposition to the plan.

Since the coalition took power last December, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, an ally of Mr Netanyahu, has refused to convene the committee that selects the nation’s judges, leaving numerous judicial seats open across the country.

Lawyers for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara will now argue against the justice minister’s counsel in court, a situation which experts said is highly exceptional.

Mr Levin, a key architect of the overhaul, seeks to change the make-up of the selection committee to give Mr Netanyahu’s ruling coalition the final say over the appointment of judges, part of a broader judicial overhaul.

Before the court delayed the hearing for 12 days, petitions challenging Mr Levin’s refusal were set to be heard on Thursday. 

Under normal circumstances Mr Levin’s position would have been represented by the attorney general.

But after Ms Baharav-Miara made clear that she opposed the overhaul, Mr Levin requested the hearing be delayed so he had time to seek independent counsel.

The Supreme Court then agreed to delay the hearing until September 19.

In a filing to the court, the attorney general said Mr Levin had caused numerous vacancies on the judges’ bench.

According to the filing in court, if the selection committee to appoint new judges is not convened by the end of the year it will leave over 5 per cent of the national bench vacant.

Mr Levin has until Sunday to secure independent counsel and submit his position to the court.

For over eight months, tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to protest against the overhaul, marking the most sustained demonstrations the country has ever seen.