The International Court of Justice, also called ICJ, is the main judicial branch of the United Nations. It settles legal disputes between states and gives advice on legal issues submitted by authorized international branches, agencies and the UN General Assembly.
Here are five important facts of the International Court of Justice:
Location
The ICJ was established in 1946 by the United Nations and it is seated in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. It replaced the Permanent Court of International Justice which operated since 1922 in the same Palace.
Functions
The International Court of Justice resolves disputes among different states. These issues can be placed by parties upon certain conditions. States can be subject to the jurisdiction of the ICJ with the consent of the states. Consent may be given by express agreement, prior agreement to the dispute or by treaty provisions related to the issues. Some cases included an issue between Germany and Liechtenstein, a territorial dispute between Colombia and Nicaragua; a dispute between El Salvador and the Honduras due to territorial issues and more cases.
Composition of the ICJ
The International Court of Justice is composed of 15 jurists from different countries. And the same country can not have 2 judges at the same time, thus, it can remain as impartial as possible.
Favoring Established Powers
Although it has jurists from different countries, it has been accused of siding with certain groups of power. The articles 3 and 9 of the Statute declare that the judges should represent the main forms of civilization and legal systems of the world. This suggests that the ICJ favors the developed and powerful countries, not the Third World.
The ICJ can give advisory opinions on legal questions
The International Court of Justice can give these opinions on certain issues when requested to do so by the Security Council, the General Assembly or other agencies related to the United Nations. Advisory opinions are seen as a way to seek the help of the ICJ when deciding complex legal issues.
