Icj's Jurisdiction

A special agreement

Profile

A clause in a treaty

States may manifest their consent in three different ways

A unilateral declaration In cases of doubt as to whether the Court has jurisdiction, it is the Court itself which decides

Territorial and border The decolonization of Africa has given rise to a large number of cases 1986, Frontier Dispute Burkina Faso v. Mali 1992, Land, Island and Maritime Frontier Dispute El Salvador v. Honduras Fisheries The high seas

Freedom of

International straits

Concerns Rights of Maritime

Passage Exploration

1969, North Sea Continental Shelf Germany v. Denmark

Sort of disputes

Cases

Germany v. Netherlands 1984, (Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary in the Gulf of Maine Area ) Canada/United States

Questions regarding the law of the sea Questions of State jurisdiction Diplomatic and consular law

Jurisdiction

1979

Seizure of its embassy

United States-Iran

Detention of its Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Tehran 1986, Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua . Nicaragua v. United States

Allegations of the unlawful use of force Claims of a commercial nature

Has no power to take up cases on its own initiative Its Statute does not empower it to Investigate and adjudicate of its own accord the acts of sovereign States

Competence

Deal with their internal affairs Is not a watchdog for the rule of law in the world Does not have a prosecutor who may bring indictments At the request Can consider a dispute only

Of the States involved

With the consent

Cannot create new laws as a legislator can Clarify, refine and interpret It can

The rules of international law In view of contemporary circumstances

Draw attention to deficiencies in the law Note the emergence of new trends

Jurisprudence

Have legal force It decisions

Are an authoritative interpretation of international law Serve as guidelines for the international conduct

Has become the supreme interpreter of the Charter ICJ III-Jurisdiction.mmap - 28/01/2009 -