International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), often called the World Court, is the United Nations' principal judicial organ. Based at the Peace Palace in The Hague, it decides legal disputes submitted by states when they have accepted its jurisdiction and gives advisory opinions on legal questions referred by authorized UN bodies and specialized agencies. Its judgments in contentious cases bind the parties to those cases; advisory opinions are generally not binding. Unlike the International Criminal Court, the ICJ does not try individuals.
Origins and role in the United Nations
The ICJ was established by the United Nations Charter, signed in 1945, and began work in 1946 at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. The UN Charter identifies it as the organization's principal judicial organ. Its institutional predecessor was the Permanent Court of International Justice, established in the League of Nations era. The ICJ inherited much of that court's experience while being established as a principal organ of the United Nations.
Composition
The Court has 15 independent judges. The UN General Assembly and Security Council elect them in separate but concurrent votes for nine-year terms. The Statute requires the judges to have high moral character and qualifications for senior judicial office or recognized competence in international law; no two judges may be nationals of the same state. The Statute requires the judges to act independently, and electors are to consider representation of the principal legal systems of the world.
Two forms of jurisdiction
The ICJ handles contentious cases and advisory proceedings. In a contentious case, states submit a legal dispute to the Court; only states can be parties. The Court can hear such a dispute only when the states concerned have accepted its jurisdiction, for example through a special agreement, a clause in a treaty, or reciprocal declarations accepting jurisdiction. Its subject matter is international law, including treaty interpretation and disputes about states' international obligations.
Judgments and advisory opinions
A judgment in a contentious case is final and binding on the states that are parties to that case, rather than a general ruling binding every country. Under Article 94 of the UN Charter, a party that says the other state has not complied may bring the matter to the Security Council. The Court also issues advisory opinions on legal questions referred by the General Assembly, Security Council, or other authorized UN organs and specialized agencies. These opinions are generally not binding, but they carry legal authority and can influence international law and policy.
How it differs from the International Criminal Court
The ICJ is not a criminal court: it has no jurisdiction to prosecute or try individuals. Its contentious proceedings concern legal disputes between states, while the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of crimes within its jurisdiction. The two institutions are separate despite both being based in The Hague. The ICJ's state-focused role makes it a forum for resolving disputes under international law and clarifying legal questions referred within the UN system.
Key facts
- Full name
- International Court of Justice (ICJ); also known as the World Court.
- Established
- Under the UN Charter in 1945; began work in 1946.
- Headquarters
- Peace Palace, The Hague, Netherlands.
- Composition
- 15 judges elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council for nine-year terms.
- Contentious cases
- Legal disputes between states that have accepted the Court's jurisdiction.
- Other function
- Advisory opinions on legal questions referred by authorized UN bodies and specialized agencies.
- Not a criminal court
- It does not prosecute or try individuals; that role is distinct from the ICC.
Timeline
1945
The United Nations Charter establishes the International Court of Justice as the UN's principal judicial organ.
1946
The first judges are elected and the Court begins work at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
1947
The first case is submitted to the Court, concerning incidents in the Corfu Channel.
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References
- 1.How the Court Works
International Court of Justice · other · reliability: high · retrieved 18 October 2026
Supports: The Court's two types of proceedings, state consent, contentious judgments, and advisory opinions.
- 2.Frequently Asked Questions
International Court of Justice · other · reliability: high · retrieved 18 October 2026
Supports: The Court's UN role, establishment, place of work, composition, state-only contentious cases, and distinction from the ICC.
- 3.History
International Court of Justice · other · reliability: high · retrieved 18 October 2026
Supports: Historical development from the Permanent Court of International Justice, the Court's creation, and its first case.
- 4.Chapter XIV: The International Court of Justice (Articles 92-96)
United Nations · other · reliability: high · retrieved 18 October 2026
Supports: The Court's status as the principal judicial organ, UN member obligations concerning judgments, and advisory-opinion authority.
- 5.Statute of the International Court of Justice
United Nations · other · reliability: high · retrieved 18 October 2026
Supports: The Court's composition, election, qualifications, jurisdiction, and procedures as set out in its Statute.
- 6.International Court of Justice (ICJ) Definition, Cases, Purpose, & Facts
Encyclopaedia Britannica · other · reliability: high · retrieved 18 October 2026
Supports: Independent reference overview of the Court's purpose, history, structure, cases, and place in the UN system.
- 7.The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court: A Primer
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress · other · reliability: high · retrieved 18 October 2026
Supports: Legal and institutional comparison of the ICJ and ICC, including judges, jurisdiction, judgments, and advisory opinions.
- 8.How does the International Court of Justice differ from the International Criminal Court?
Pursuit, University of Melbourne · other · reliability: high · retrieved 18 October 2026
Supports: A legal academic's explanation of the different roles and jurisdiction of the ICJ and ICC.
References are suggested by the research engine and may be incomplete. Unverified URLs are omitted rather than guessed.
Article history
- Version 118 October 2026 · EditorCreated by Zapia