International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial body of the United Nations. The role of the ICJ is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States, and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) works in two different ways. First, it can act as a dispute settlement body between two member States in what are called “contentious cases.” Second, it can accept requests to issue an advisory opinion on a legal question referred to it by a United Nations body or specialized agency.

Situated at the Peace Palace in The Hague, The Netherlands, it is the only organ of the United Nations not located in New York City, New York, in the United States.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is composed of 15 judges who serve 9-year terms after being elected by the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council. The judges of the ICJ are assisted by the ICJ Registry, the administrative arm of the ICJ. In addition, the ICJ Statute allows a State party to a case before it which does not have a judge of its nationality on the bench to appoint a person to sit as judge ad hoc in that specific case. Article 2 of the ICJ Statute dictates that the Court shall be composed of “persons of high moral character, who possess the qualifications required in their respective countries for appointment to the highest judicial offices, or are jurisconsults of recognized competence in international law.”