Tag: Court
War against Hamas in Gaza is act of self-defence, Israel tells world court
On the second and final day of preliminary hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel’s legal team insisted that the twin military objectives were to eradicate the existential threat posed by Hamas militants and to free some 136 hostages still held in the war-shattered enclave. “Israel is in a war of defence against…
Read MoreGaza: South Africa levels accusations of ‘genocidal conduct’ against Israel at world court
The development came amid the ongoing and massive Israeli bombardment across the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas-led terror attacks on 7 October that left some 1,200 Israeli and foreign nationals dead in southern Israel and some 250 taken hostage. Laying out their case, the South African legal team told the International Court of Justice…
Read MoreWhat is the International Court of Justice and why does it matter?
What is the ICJ for, and how does it work? The ICJ, which is situated in the Peace Palace in The Hague, a city in The Netherlands, was established in 1945 as a way of settling disputes between countries. The Court also provides advisory opinions on legal questions that have been referred to it by other…
Read MoreStories from the UN Archive: Birth of the first global court
The UN and its 193 Member States can bring a case within the Court’s jurisdiction and some of its decisions are shaping the planet’s common destiny. As the Court elects new judges from around the world on this #ThrowbackThursday, UN News is launching a weekly series, courtesy of our history-loving audio-visual colleagues. UN Video’s Stories…
Read MoreFive judges elected to United Nations’ top court
In parallel and independent voting conducted by secret ballot, the Assembly and the Council re-elected one judge who is currently serving, Hilary Charlesworth of Australia. Another justice currently on the bench, Kirill Gevorgian of Russia, was not successful in securing another term. Four new justices were elected: Bogdan-Lucian Aurescu (Romania); Sarah Hull Cleveland (United…
Read MoreInternational Criminal Court: Russia urged to withdraw arrest warrants for judges
“We share the concerns expressed on Tuesday by the Presidency of the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties that these actions are unacceptable, and we call for them to be promptly withdrawn,” said Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani, speaking in Geneva. Last month, Russia issued arrest warrants against the President, deputy and one of the judges at the…
Read MoreDarfur: International Criminal Court launches investigation into surging violence
Briefing the Security Council, Prosecutor Karim Khan, said that the mandate of his office, pursuant to resolution 1593 referring the situation in Darfur to the Court in 2005, was clear. “[Our mandate is] ongoing with respect to crimes within our jurisdiction, the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes; and any individual who…
Read MoreWomen in justice: Three trailblazing World Court judges send a powerful message
Gender equality in the judiciary has been historically unbalanced, including at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. The first woman to be elected as a member of the ICJ in 1995 was Dame Rosalyn Higgins, who in 2006 also became the first female President of the Court. …
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