THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE: JURISDICTIONAL BASIS AND STATUS

Abstract

The emergence of independent and sovereign States in the world necessitated the need to ensure peaceful co-existence among these independent States as none of these States is willing to submit to the will of the other. Accordingly, since there were no commonly accepted standards of conduct among these States, there are tendencies of collisions, and the use of force or war to press home their demands is very possible. Bearing this in mind, the United Nations at its inception in 1945 established the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as a successor to the Permanent Court of International Justice established by the League of Nations after the conclusion of the First World War. The ICJ commonly referred to as the ‘World Court’ is one of the principal organs and the primary judicial branch of the United Nations saddled with the responsibility of resolving legal disputes submitted to it by States that have accepted its jurisdiction. This article will therefore examine the status and jurisdiction of the ICJ and also examine the key features and provisions of the Statute of the ICJ. The criticisms against the ICJ will equally be examined and appropriate recommendations will be made.