- International Court of Justice
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In·ter·na·tion·al Court of Justice: the principal judicial instrumentality of the United Nations which has jurisdiction to settle disputes between nations that have consented to such jurisdiction and to provide other branches of the U.N. (as the General Assembly) with advisory opinions – called also World Court;
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- International Court of Justice
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n.The United Nations’ court, seated at The Hague, Netherlands, that provides advice on questions of law and the writing of treaties and settles legal disputes between nations; its decisions are enforceable by the U.n.Security Council.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
- International Court of Justice
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(ICJ) the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN), the Court sits in The Hague, Netherlands. There are 15 judges elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council. No two judges may be nationals of the same state. Only states are competent to bring contentious cases to the Court. The basis of the Court's jurisdiction is consensual and is prescribed in Article 36 of the Court's statute. The Court's judgment is binding only on those states party to the case. There is no stare decisis. The Court is also competent to give an advisory opinion at the request of the General Assembly or Security Council or a specialised agency at any time authorised by the General Assembly so to do. The Court's judgment is 'final and without appeal'. However, a request for construction or interpretation of the judgment may be made, as may a revision of the judgment in certain specified circumstances. Advisory opinions are of no legal binding effect but have proved to be highly persuasive. All members of the United Nations undertake to comply with the decision of the ICJ in any case to which it is a party. In the event of failure to comply, the other party may exercise recourse to the Security Council. The Security Council may make such recommendations or authorise such measures as required to give effect to the judgment (Article 94 UN Charter).
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
