The list of International Court of Justice cases includes contentious cases and advisory opinions brought to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) since its creation in 1946. Forming a key part of international law, 202 cases have been entered onto the General List for consideration before the court.
The jurisdiction of the ICJ is limited. Only states have standing to bring a compulsory claim against another state, and then only with the consent of the responding state. However, certain United Nations bodies and agencies such as the UN General Assembly have the power to submit questions for advisory opinions.Staff. International Court of Justice Database, World Legal Information Institute , last updated: 22 August 2006. Most recent document: 3 February 2006 Number of documents: 130Bimal N. Patel, Shabtai Rosenne. The World Court Reference Guide: Judgments, Advisory Opinions and Orders of the Permanent Court of international Justice and the International Court of Justice (1922–2000), Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2002, Although these advisory opinions are not binding under international law, they do provide the ICJ's interpretation of what international law is.List of Advisory Proceedings referred to the Court since 1946 by date of introduction (sorted on the date of the Advisory Opinion and then General List No.)
List of cases The list is organized by and includes only those disputes assigned a General List number by the registrar of the court. In the early days of the court, any formally correct application was accepted by the registrar and entered on to the General List. If there was no jurisdiction (because of lack of consent by the responding party), the case was soon closed by the court. In 1978, however, the Court amended its rules and instructed the registrar to only enter a case on the General List if there was consent by the responding party,International Court of Justice. Rules of the Court (1978) , Article 38, paragraph 5. "When the applicant State proposes to found the jurisdiction of the Court upon a consent thereto yet to be given or manifested by the State against which such application is made, the application shall be transmitted to that State. It shall not however be entered in the General List, nor any action be taken in the proceedings, unless and until the State against which such application is made consents to the Court's jurisdiction for the purposes of the case." seemingly reducing the problem of meritless applications. However, at times consent and therefore jurisdiction is contested by the responding party. Such a case may be ordered to be added to the General List over the protestations of the respondent to allow the court to decide whether there is consent. In such a situation, however, the mere addition of a dispute to the General List does not have legal significance.
No. Name Applicant Respondent Case began Case ended Disposition 1 Corfu Channel Case Corfu Channel Case. Application . 22 May 1947. Corfu Channel Case. Judgment . 9 April 1949. Judgment on Merits 2 General List Number 2 assigned to some elements of Corfu Channel CaseFor example, the Judgment on Preliminary Objections (Corfu Channel Case, 25 March 1948, p.15.) is marked in its margin as General List Number 2. However, it is posted under the ICJ website with the rest of the Corfu Channel Case materials , which are generally marked as General List Number 1. In subsequent cases with judgments on preliminary objections, the Court seems to have assigned the preliminary judgment the same General List Number as the original case to which it belongs, see, e.g. Certain Phosphate Lands in Nauru. Judgment on Preliminary Objections. 26 June 1992; Aerial Incident of 10 August 1999, Judgment on Preliminary Objections. 21 June 2000; etc. 3 Conditions of Admission of a State to Membership in the United Nations Conditions of Admission. .Note from the Secretary General of the United Nations to the Registrar], 24 November 1949. "Conditions of Admission". Advisory Opinion Opinion on Merits 4 Reparation for Injuries Suffered in the Service of the United Nations, Application .Request for Advisory Opinion]. 7 December 1948. Reparation for Injuries Suffered in the Service of the United Nations, Advisory Opinion . 11 April 1949. Opinion on Merits5 Fisheries Case Fisheries Case. Application . 28 September 1948. Fisheries Case. Judgment . 18 December 1951. Judgment on Merits6 Case Concerning the Protection of French Nationals and Protected Persons in Egypt Protection of French Nationals. Application . 13 October 1949. Protection of French Nationals. Order of Discontinuance. 29 March 1950. Discontinued 7 Asylum Case Asylum (Colombia/Peru). [Application.] 15 October 1949. Asylum Case. Judgment. 20 November 1950. Judgment on Merits 8 Interpretation of Peace Treaties with Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania Interpretation of Peace Treaties. Request for Advisory Opinion . 31 October 1949. Note: this date is for the final opinion, for the "second phase". An opinion addressing the "first phase" was issued on 30 March 1950. Opinion on Merits 9 Competence of the General Assembly for the Admission of a State to the United Nations Competence of the General Assembly. Request for Advisory Opinion . 28 November 1949. Competence of the General Assembly. Advisory Opinion. 3 March 1950. Opinion on Merits10 International Status of South West Africa International Status of South West Africa. Request for Advisory Opinion . 27 December 1949. International Status of South West Africa. Advisory Opinion . 11 July 1950. Opinion on Merits11Rights of Nationals of the United States of America in Morocco Rights of Nationals of the United States, Application . 28 October 1950. Rights of Nationals of the United States, Judgment . 27 August 1952. Judgment on Merits12Reservations to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide Reservations to the Genocide Convention. Request for Advisory Opinion. 20 November 1950. Reservations to the Genocide Convention. Advisory Opinion. 28 May 1951. Opinion on Merits13 Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 20 November 1950 in the Asylum Case "Asylum case".Application . 20 November 1950. "Asylum case".Judgment . 27 November 1950. Judgment on Admissibility14Haya de la Torre "Haya de la Torre".Application . 13 December 1950. "Haya de la Torre".Judgment . 19 May 1953. Judgment on Merits15Ambatielos Case Ambatelios Case. . 19 May 1953. Judgment on Merits16Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. "Anglo-Iranian Oil Co".. Application . 26 May 1951. Anglo-Iranian Oil Co..Judgment on Preliminary Objections . 22 July 1952. Judgment on Jurisdiction17Minquiers and Ecrehos Case Minquiers and Ecrehos Case. Special Agreement . 5 December 1951. Minquiers and Ecrehos Case. Judgment . 17 November 1953. Judgment on Merits18Nottebohm Case Nottebohm Case. Application . 17 December 1951. Nottebohm Case. Judgment . 6 April 1955. Judgment on Merits19Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 Monetary Gold Case. Application . 19 May 1953. Monetary Gold Case. Judgment . 15 June 1954. Judgment on Jurisdiction20Electricite de Beyrouth Company Case Electricite de Beyrouth Case. Application . 15 August 1953. Electricite de Beyrouth Case Order Dismissing Case . 29 July 1954. Case Dismissed21Effect of Awards of Compensation Made by the United Nations Administrative Tribunal Effect of Awards of Compensation. Request for Advisory Opinion . 21 December 1953. Effects of Awards of Compensation. Advisory Opinion . 13 July 1954. Opinion on Merits22Treatment in Hungary of Aircraft and Crew of the United States (United States v. Hungary) Treatment in Hungary (USA v. Hungary) Application . 3 March 1953.Treatment in Hungary (USA v. USSR) Application . 3 March 1953. Treatment in Hungary (USA v. Hungary) Order Removing Case 12 July 1954.Treatment in Hungary (USA v. USSR) Order Removing Case 12 July 1954. Discontinued23Treatment in Hungary of Aircraft and Crew of the United States (United States v. Soviet Union) 24Voting Procedure on Questions relating to Reports and Petitions concerning the Territory of South West Africa Voting Procedure Case. Request for Advisory Opinion . 6 December 1954. Voting Procedure Case. Advisory Opinion . 7 June 1955. Opinion on Merits25Aerial Incident of 10 March 1953 Aerial Incident of 10 March 1953. Order Removing from List . 14 March 1956. Discontinued26Antarctica (United Kingdom v. Argentina) Antarctica (UK v. Argentina). Application . 4 May 1955.Antarctica (UK v. Chile). Application . 4 May 1955. Antarctica (UK v. Argentina). Order Removing from List . 16 March 1956.Antarctica (UK v. Chile). Order Removing from List . 16 March 1956. Discontinued27Antarctica (United Kingdom v. Chile) 28Aerial Incident of 7 October 1952 Aerial Incident of 7 October 1952. Application . 2 June 1955. Aerial Incident of 7 October 1952. Order Removing from List. 14 March 1956. Discontinued 29Certain Norwegian Loans Certain Norwegian Loans. Application . 6 July 1955. Certain Norwegian Loans. Judgment . 6 July 1957. Judgment on Merits30Judgments of the Administrative Tribunal of the ILO upon Complaints made against UNESCO Judgments of the Administrative Tribunal of the ILO. Request for Advisory Opinion . 5 December 1955. Judgments of the Administrative Tribunal of the ILO. Advisory Opinion. 23 October 1956. Opinion on Merits31Admissibility of Hearings of Petitioners by the Committee on South West Africa Admissibility of Hearings of Petitioners by the Committee on South West Africa. Request for Advisory Opinion . 19 December 1955. Admissibility of Hearings of Petitioners by the Committee on South West Africa. Advisory Opinion. 1 June 1956.