What is the International Court of Justice?

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the primary judicial arm of the United Nations (UN) and is the world’s leading court for resolving disputes between States. Located in The Hague, Netherlands, the ICJ is comprised of 15 independent judges representing various countries. The primary purpose of the Court is to settle legal disputes between States in accordance with international law and with fairness to all parties. The ICJ handles both contentious and advisory cases. Contentious cases are disputes which arise between two States or between a State and an international organization. Advisory cases are when the UN, including the Security Council or the General Assembly, requests an opinion on matters of public international law. In Hawaii, the international law governing the ICJ is governed by the Statute of the International Court of Justice. Article 38 of the Statute outlines the sources of international law which the Court is to consider in determining the dispute at hand. This includes international conventions and any general principles of law recognized by civilized nations, as well as judicial decisions and learned writings of publicists. The ICJ is an important forum for settling disputes between States. It serves as both a general court and a court of appeal, and its decisions are binding and final. Furthermore, the ICJ is seen as a major force for international law, as its decisions are typically unanimous and highly respected.

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What is the International Court of Justice?

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