List of International Court of Justice Cases

International Court of Justice Cases

The Court has a twofold jurisdiction or function:

Contentious: to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States. In Contentious proceedings, when a dispute is brought before the Court by a unilateral application filed by one State against another State, the names of parties in the official title of the case are separated by the abbreviation v. for the Latin versus. When a dispute is submitted to the Court on the basis of a special agreement between two States, the names of the parties are separated by an oblique stroke (see more about Contentious cases), and
Advisory: to give advisory opinions (see more about Advisory proceedings) on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.

The first case entered in the General List of the Court (Corfu Channel (United Kingdom v. Albania)) was submitted on 22 May 1947.

Advisory Proceedings referred to the International Court of Justice

List of Advisory Proceedings referred to the International Court of Justice since 1946 by Organs/specialized agencies of the United Nations involved:

Economic and Social Council

Applicability of Article VI, Section 22, of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations
Difference Relating to Immunity from Legal Process of a Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights

General Assembly

See a list of Advisory Proceedings referred to the International Court of Justice by the General Assembly.

Security Council

Legal Consequences for States of the Continued Presence of South Africa in Namibia (South West Africa) notwithstanding Security Council Resolution 276 (1970)

International Fund for Agricultural Development

Judgment No.2867 of the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organization upon a Complaint Filed against the International Fund for Agricultural Development (Request for Advisory Opinion)

International Maritime Organization

Constitution of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Judgments of the Administrative Tribunal of the ILO upon Complaints Made against Unesco

World Health Organization

Interpretation of the Agreement of 25 March 1951 between the WHO and Egypt
Legality of the Use by a State of Nuclear Weapons in Armed Conflict

Contentious cases ordered by countries involved

Albania

Corfu Channel (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland v. Albania)

Argentina

Antarctica (United Kingdom v. Argentina)
Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay)

Australia

Nuclear Tests (Australia v. France)
Certain Phosphate Lands in Nauru (Nauru v. Australia)
East Timor (Portugal v. Australia)
Whaling in the Antarctic (Australia v. Japan: New Zealand intervening)
Questions relating to the Seizure and Detention of Certain Documents and Data (Timor-Leste v. Australia)

Bahrain

Maritime Delimitation and Territorial Questions between Qatar and Bahrain (Qatar v. Bahrain)

Belgium

Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land (Belgium/Netherlands)
Barcelona Traction, Light and Power Company, Limited (Belgium v. Spain)
Barcelona Traction, Light and Power Company, Limited (Belgium v. Spain) (New Application: 1962)
Legality of Use of Force (Serbia and Montenegro v. Belgium)
Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000 (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Belgium)
Questions relating to the Obligation to Prosecute or Extradite (Belgium v. Senegal)
Jurisdiction and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (Belgium v. Switzerland)

Benin

Frontier Dispute (Benin/Niger)

Bolivia

Obligation to Negotiate Access to the Pacific Ocean (Bolivia v. Chile)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro)
Application for Revision of the Judgment of 11 July 1996 in the Case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Yugoslavia), Preliminary Objections (Yugoslavia v. Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Botswana

Kasikili/Sedudu Island (Botswana/Namibia)

Brazil

Certain Questions concerning Diplomatic Relations (Honduras v. Brazil)

Bulgaria

Aerial Incident of 27 July 1955 (Israel v. Bulgaria)
Aerial Incident of 27 July 1955 (United States of America v. Bulgaria)
Aerial Incident of 27 July 1955 (United Kingdom v. Bulgaria)

Burkina Faso

Frontier Dispute (Burkina Faso/Republic of Mali)
Frontier Dispute (Burkina Faso/Niger)

Burundi

Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Burundi)

Cambodia

Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia v. Thailand)
Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 15 June 1962 in the Case concerning the Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia v. Thailand) (Cambodia v. Thailand)

Cameroon

Northern Cameroons (Cameroon v. United Kingdom)
Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria (Cameroon v. Nigeria: Equatorial Guinea intervening)
Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 11 June 1998 in the Case concerning the Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria (Cameroon v. Nigeria), Preliminary Objections (Nigeria v. Cameroon)

Canada

Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary in the Gulf of Maine Area (Canada/United States of America)
Fisheries Jurisdiction (Spain v. Canada)
Legality of Use of Force (Serbia and Montenegro v. Canada)

Chad

Territorial Dispute (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya/Chad)

Chile

Antarctica (United Kingdom v. Chile)
Maritime Dispute (Peru v. Chile)
Obligation to Negotiate Access to the Pacific Ocean (Bolivia v. Chile)

Colombia

Asylum (Colombia/Peru)
Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 20 November 1950 in the Asylum Case (Colombia v. Peru)
Haya de la Torre (Colombia v.Peru)
Territorial and Maritime Dispute (Nicaragua v. Colombia)
Aerial Herbicide Spraying (Ecuador v. Colombia)
Question of the Delimitation of the Continental Shelf between Nicaragua and Colombia beyond 200 nautical miles from the Nicaraguan Coast (Nicaragua v. Colombia)
Alleged Violations of Sovereign Rights and Maritime Spaces in the Caribbean Sea (Nicaragua v. Colombia)

Congo, Republic of the

Certain Criminal Proceedings in France (Republic of the Congo v. France)

Costa Rica

Border and Transborder Armed Actions (Nicaragua v. Costa Rica)
Dispute regarding Navigational and Related Rights (Costa Rica v. Nicaragua)
Certain Activities carried out by Nicaragua in the Border Area (Costa Rica v. Nicaragua)
Construction of a Road in Costa Rica along the San Juan River (Nicaragua v. Costa Rica)
Maritime Delimitation in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean (Costa Rica v. Nicaragua)

Croatia

Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Croatia v. Serbia)

Czechoslovakia

Aerial Incident of 10 March 1953 (United States of America v. Czechoslovakia)

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Burundi)
Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda)
Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Rwanda)
Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000 (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Belgium)
Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (New Application: 2002) (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Rwanda)

Denmark

North Sea Continental Shelf (Federal Republic of Germany/Denmark)
Maritime Delimitation in the Area between Greenland and Jan Mayen (Denmark v. Norway)
Passage through the Great Belt (Finland v. Denmark)

Djibouti

Certain Questions of Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (Djibouti v. France)
Dominica, Commonwealth of

Status vis-à-vis the Host State of a Diplomatic Envoy to the United Nations (Commonwealth of Dominica v. Switzerland)

Egypt

Protection of French Nationals and Protected Persons in Egypt (France v. Egypt)

El Salvador

Land, Island and Maritime Frontier Dispute (El Salvador/Honduras: Nicaragua intervening)
Application for Revision of the Judgment of 11 September 1992 in the Case concerning the Land, Island and Maritime Frontier Dispute (El Salvador/Honduras: Nicaragua intervening) (El Salvador v. Honduras)

Ethiopia

South West Africa (Ethiopia v. South Africa)

France

Rights of Nationals of the United States of America in Morocco (France v. United States of America)
Minquiers and Ecrehos (France/United Kingdom)
Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 (Italy v. France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America)
Electricité de Beyrouth Company (France v. Lebanon)
Certain Norwegian Loans (France v. Norway)
Compagnie du Port, des Quais et des Entrepôts de Beyrouth and Société Radio-Orient (France v. Lebanon)
Nuclear Tests (Australia v. France)
Nuclear Tests (New Zealand v. France)
Request for an Examination of the Situation in Accordance with Paragraph 63 of the Court’s Judgment of 20 December 1974 in the Nuclear Tests (New Zealand v. France) Case
Legality of Use of Force (Serbia and Montenegro v. France)

Georgia

Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Georgia v. Russian Federation)

Germany

Fisheries Jurisdiction (Federal Republic of Germany v. Iceland)
LaGrand (Germany v. United States of America)
Legality of Use of Force (Serbia and Monténégro v. Germany)
Jurisdictional Immunities of the State (Germany v. Italy: Greece intervening)
North Sea Continental Shelf (Federal Republic of Germany/Netherlands)
Certain Property (Liechtenstein v. Germany)

Greece

Ambatielos (Greece v. United Kingdom)
Aegean Sea Continental Shelf (Greece v. Turkey)
Application of the Interim Accord of 13 September 1995 (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia v. Greece)

Guatemala

Nottebohm (Liechtenstein v. Guatemala)

Guinea-Bissau

Arbitral Award of 31 July 1989 (Guinea-Bissau v. Senegal)
Maritime Delimitation between Guinea-Bissau and Senegal (Guinea-Bissau v. Senegal)

Honduras

Arbitral Award Made by the King of Spain on 23 December 1906 (Honduras v. Nicaragua)
Border and Transborder Armed Actions (Nicaragua v. Honduras)
Territorial and Maritime Dispute between Nicaragua and Honduras in the Caribbean Sea (Nicaragua v. Honduras)
Certain Questions concerning Diplomatic Relations (Honduras v. Brazil)

Hungary

Treatment in Hungary of Aircraft and Crew of United States of America (United States of America v. Hungarian People’s Republic)
Gab?íkovo-Nagymaros Project (Hungary/Slovakia)

Iceland

Fisheries Jurisdiction (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland v. Iceland)

India

Right of Passage over Indian Territory (Portugal v. India)
Appeal Relating to the Jurisdiction of the ICAO Council (India v. Pakistan)
Trial of Pakistani Prisoners of War (Pakistan v. India)
Aerial Incident of 10 August 1999 (Pakistan v. India)
Obligations concerning Negotiations relating to Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and to Nuclear Disarmament (Marshall Islands v. India)

Indonesia

Sovereignty over Pulau Ligitan and Pulau Sipadan (Indonesia/Malaysia)

Iran, Islamic Republic of

Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. (United Kingdom v. Iran)
United States Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Tehran (United States of America v. Iran)
Aerial Incident of 3 July 1988 (Islamic Republic of Iran v. United States of America)
Oil Platforms (Islamic Republic of Iran v. United States of America)

Israel

Aerial Incident of 27 July 1955 (Israel v. Bulgaria)

Italy

Elettronica Sicula S.p.A. (ELSI) (United States of America v. Italy)
Legality of Use of Force (Serbia and Montenegro v. Italy)

Japan

Whaling in the Antarctic (Australia v. Japan: New Zealand intervening)

Kenya

Proceedings instituted by the Federal Republic of Somalia against the Republic of Kenya on 28 August 2014

Liberia

South West Africa (Liberia v. South Africa)

Libya

Continental Shelf (Tunisia/Libyan Arab Jamahiriya)
Continental Shelf (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya/Malta)
Application for Revision and Interpretation of the Judgment of 24 February 1982 in the Case concerning the Continental Shelf (Tunisia/Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (Tunisia v. Libyan Arab Jamahiriya)
Questions of Interpretation and Application of the 1971 Montreal Convention arising from the Aerial Incident at Lockerbie (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya v. United Kingdom)
Questions of Interpretation and Application of the 1971 Montreal Convention arising from the Aerial Incident at Lockerbie (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya v. United States of America)

Malaysia

Sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge (Malaysia/Singapore)

Mali, Republic of

Frontier Dispute (Burkina Faso/Republic of Mali)

Marshall Islands

Obligations concerning Negotiations relating to Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and to Nuclear Disarmament (Marshall Islands v. Pakistan)
Obligations concerning Negotiations relating to Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and to Nuclear Disarmament (Marshall Islands v. United Kingdom)

Mexico

Avena and Other Mexican Nationals (Mexico v. United States of America)
Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 31 March 2004 in the Case concerning Avena and Other Mexican Nationals (Mexico v. United States of America) (Mexico v. United States of America)

Namibia

Kasikili/Sedudu Island (Botswana/Namibia)

Nauru

Certain Phosphate Lands in Nauru (Nauru v. Australia)

Netherlands

Application of the Convention of 1902 Governing the Guardianship of Infants (Netherlands v. Sweden)
Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land (Belgium/Netherlands)
Legality of Use of Force (Serbia and Montenegro v. Netherlands)

Nicaragua

Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v. United States of America)

Niger

Frontier Dispute (Benin/Niger)
Frontier Dispute (Burkina Faso/Niger)

Norway

Fisheries (United Kingdom v. Norway)

Paraguay

Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (Paraguay v. United States of America)
Peru

Portugal

East Timor (Portugal v. Australia)
Legality of Use of Force (Serbia and Montenegro v. Portugal)

Qatar

Maritime Delimitation and Territorial Questions between Qatar and Bahrain (Qatar v. Bahrain)

Romania

Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea (Romania v. Ukraine)

Senegal

Questions relating to the Obligation to Prosecute or Extradite (Belgium v. Senegal)

Serbia

Legality of Use of Force (Serbia and Montenegro v. Belgium)
Legality of Use of Force (Serbia and Montenegro v. United Kingdom)

Montenegro

Legality of Use of Force (Serbia and Montenegro v. Belgium)
Legality of Use of Force (Serbia and Montenegro v. United Kingdom)

Spain

Barcelona Traction, Light and Power Company, Limited (Belgium v. Spain)
Barcelona Traction, Light and Power Company, Limited (Belgium v. Spain) (New Application: 1962)
Legality of Use of Force (Yugoslavia v. Spain)

Switzerland

Interhandel (Switzerland v. United States of America)
Jurisdiction and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (Belgium v. Switzerland)

Thailand

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Timor-Leste

Questions relating to the Seizure and Detention of Certain Documents and Data (Timor-Leste v. Australia)

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Treatment in Hungary of Aircraft and Crew of United States of America (United States of America v. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)
Aerial Incident of 7 October 1952 (United States of America v. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)
Aerial Incident of 4 September 1954 (United States of America v. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)
Aerial Incident of 7 November 1954 (United States of America v. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Corfu Channel (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland v. Albania)
Antarctica (United Kingdom v. Argentina)
Aerial Incident of 27 July 1955 (United Kingdom v. Bulgaria)

United States of America

Aerial Incident of 27 July 1955 (United States of America v. Bulgaria)
Legality of Use of Force (Yugoslavia v. United States of America)

Uruguay

Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay)

Yugoslavia

Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro)
Application for Revision of the Judgment of 11 July 1996 in the Case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Yugoslavia), Preliminary Objections (Yugoslavia v. Bosnia and Herzegovina)