The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). Its seat is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).The ICJ’s primary function is to settle international disputes between states in accordance with international law.
What is The Hague International Court of Justice?
The Hague International Court of Justice is the primary judicial branch of the United Nations. It is based in The Hague, Netherlands. The Court settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it. The Court is composed of 15 judges elected to nine-year terms by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. The President of the Court is elected by the judges for a three-year term. There are no permanent staff; the Court relies on the support of the United Nations Secretariat.
The Court has a two-fold role: to settle in accordance with international law the legal disputes submitted to it by States, and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorised United Nations organs and specialised agencies.
The Court is open to States Parties to the Statute of the Court and to States which have accepted its jurisdiction. In addition, the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly may request advisory opinions from the Court on legal questions concerning the maintenance of international peace and security, and the United Nations may also request advisory opinions on legal questions arising within the scope of its activities.
The Court has two types of jurisdiction: contentious and advisory. In its contentious jurisdiction, the Court hears cases between States which have accepted its compulsory jurisdiction. In its advisory jurisdiction, the Court gives advisory opinions at the request of the United Nations General Assembly or the Security Council, or at the request of authorised United Nations organs and specialised agencies.
The Court is assisted by a Registry, which is responsible for the administration and servicing of the Court. The Registry is headed by the Registrar, who is appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Registry is based in The Hague.
The Court has its own rules of procedure, which are adopted by the Court and amended by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. The Court has a working language regime of English and French.
The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). The Palace was built for the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 1913. The building was a gift from Andrew Carnegie.
What is the purpose of The Hague Court?
The International Court of Justice is the main judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established in 1945 by the UN Charter and began work in 1946. The Court’s seat is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). Its main function is to settle legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.
The Court is composed of 15 judges elected to nine-year terms of office by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. It is assisted by a Registry, its secretariat, which is responsible for the organization of its work. The Court has a two-fold role:
- to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States;
- to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.
The Court has two kinds of jurisdiction: contentious and advisory.
Under its contentious jurisdiction, the Court delivers judgments on disputes between States concerning the interpretation or application of a treaty, an international custom or general international law. This jurisdiction is compulsory, meaning that States cannot choose not to appear before the Court if they are parties to a case before it.
The Court also has advisory jurisdiction. This means that it can give advisory opinions at the request of the General Assembly or the Security Council on legal questions concerning the interpretation of a treaty, international custom or general international law, or on questions of a legal nature concerning the activities of any international organization. Advisory opinions are not binding on the requesting organs or entities.
What types of cases does the International Court of Justice handle?
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). It was established in 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in 1946 as the successor to the Permanent Court of International Justice. The ICJ's role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.
The Court has a dual role: first, to settle in accordance with international law the legal disputes submitted to it by States (its contentious function); and second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies (its advisory function).
With respect to its contentious function, the Court is competent to entertain a dispute only if the States concerned have accepted its jurisdiction in one or more of the following ways:
(a) by virtue of a special agreement;
(b) by virtue of a compromis (compromise) submitted to it;
(c) by virtue of the acceptance of the Court's compulsory jurisdiction;
(d) by virtue of a declaration made in accordance with Article 36, paragraph 2, of the Statute.
In addition, the Security Council may, at any time, request the Court to give an advisory opinion on any legal question.
The Court is composed of 15 judges elected to nine-year terms of office by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. The composition of the Court is designed to reflect the main forms of civilization and the principal legal systems of the world. The Court holds two sessions each year, one in the spring and the other in the fall. Each case is heard by a chamber of seven judges, unless the Court decides, in exceptional circumstances, that a particular case should be heard by the full Court.