International Court of Justice, often called the World Court, is a judicial agency of the United Nations (UN). It provides a peaceful means of settling international legal disputes. It handles only cases brought by nations or by certain specialized agencies of the UN. Its decisions are based on principles of international law and cannot be appealed.
No nation has to appear before the court unless it wishes to do so. However, many nations have pledged themselves to accept the court’s jurisdiction (authority to rule) to a greater or lesser extent. If one nation refuses to accept the court’s decision, the court cannot take direct action. A country’s national interest usually governs the country’s acceptance of the court’s jurisdiction in a given case. However, nations do not submit cases to the court unless they are prepared to accept its decisions.
The General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations elect the 15 judges to the court. Judges serve for nine years and may be reelected. One-third of the court is elected every three years. The court elects its own president, vice president, and registrar. It has headquarters at The Hague, in the Netherlands.
The decisions of the court are based on a majority vote of the judges present. In case of a tie, the president casts the tie-breaking vote. In giving a decision, the court must state its reasons for its action. Any judge may also deliver a separate opinion.
One of the first attempts to set up an international court was the Permanent Court of Arbitration. This court developed from the Hague Peace Conference of 1899. After World War I, the Council of the League of Nations, assisted by a group of judges, made the first plans for the Permanent Court of International Justice. In December 1920, the League of Nations set up the court. The Charter of the United Nations, which was adopted in 1945, organized the International Court of Justice to replace the Permanent Court of International Justice.
