International Court of Justice

Why in news?

• Jammu and Kashmir Unity Foundation has demanded trial of Pakistan in the International Court of Justice

About ICJ:

• The International Court of Justice , sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN).
• It settles disputes between states in accordance with international law and gives advisory opinions on international legal issues.
• The ICJ is the only international court that adjudicates general disputes between countries, with its rulings and opinions serving as primary sources of international law.

History:

• The ICJ is the successor of the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ), which was established in 1920 by the League of Nations.
• Following the Second World War, both the League and the PCIJ were replaced by the United Nations and ICJ, respectively.
• The Statute of the ICJ, which sets forth its purposes draws heavily from that of its predecessor, whose decisions remain valid.
• Since the entry of its first case on 22 May 1947, the ICJ has entertained 178 cases through November 2019.
• The last case to which India was a part and was decided by ICJ was the dispute with Pakistan regarding the death penalty verdict against an Indian citizen, Kulbhushan Jadhav, by a Pakistani military court.

Membership and Structure:

• All member states of the UN are party to the ICJ Statute and may initiate contentious cases; however, advisory proceedings may only be submitted by certain UN organs and agencies.
• The ICJ is a panel of 15 judges elected by the General Assembly and Security Council for nine-year terms. No more than one judge of a given nationality may serve on the court at the same time, and judges as a whole must represent the principal civilizations and legal systems of the world.
• Dalveer Bhandari from India is currently a judge and is likely to serve till 2027.
• Seated in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, the ICJ is the only principal UN organ not located in New York City.
• Its official working languages are English and French.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Consider the following statements regarding International Court of Justice (ICJ):
1.International criminal court functions under the Jurisdiction of ICJ.
2.India has never been part of a dispute at ICJ.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to Prelims Question