International Court of Justice, August 1998

The International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, is the judicial body of the United Nations and was founded in 1946. Its function is to rule in accordance with international law on legal disputes brought to it by states and give advisory opinions on matters referred by certain international organs. Cases may not be brought by private individuals. Matters covered might include questions of boundaries, sovereignty, asylum or diplomatic relations. Again the official languages of the Court are English and French and over the years it has made over sixty judgments, more than twenty advisory opinions and nearly 300 orders. Substantial information about the Court; the documents relating to its constitution, jurisdiction, rules and activities; lists of cases pending before the Court and their current status; information on cases under deliberation - much of it in full text; and the decisions themselves are all available at its web site at http://www.icjcij.org/. It is designed with frames, and hypertext links allow easy access to relevant documents. Latest developments in a particular case are brought up automatically.

Details of the decisions can be accessed directly at http://www.icj-cij.org/idecis.htm/ but though all are listed from 1946, only those from 1996 onwards are in full text. For earlier decisions, electronic access is available through feepaying services such as Westlaw. However, for recent ones a considerable amount of full text information is provided, including not just the judgment but also the text of separate or dissenting opinions, with direct links to key aspects. For cases still under deliberation, the text of applications, oral pleadings, orders and press communiqués is made available. The judgments are binding without appeal. For information only there are summaries of case decisions together with a disclaimer that this is not an authoritative source.

Internet address
http://www.icj-cij.org/