Gideon Sa'ar
Gideon Sa'arYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar's plan to split the role of the Attorney General is expected to be delayed at least until early 2022.

Before the election, Sa'ar pledged to split the Attorney General role into one chief prosecutor and one chief legal adviser, but a series of meetings and consultations he held with senior jurists led him to conclude that this was too tight a schedule, and even made him reconsider the nature of the move.

People close to Sa'ar told Haaretz that he would be able to advance the split of the position even if the replacement for current Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit - who will retire at the end of January 2022 - is already chosen and that any elected Attorney General will enter the position knowing that Sa'ar intends to split it.

If Sa'ar formulates a desirable outline for splitting the Attorney General’s role, he will have to bring the move for approval in the government and then bring about a long line of legislative amendments - as the term "Attorney General" and his powers appear in very many pieces of legislation.

Although the coalition agreements include the intention to split the role of Attorney General, the Meretz, Labor and Blue and White parties oppose it and are likely to place obstacles in the way.