International Court of Justice

The "World Court," officially known as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its seat is at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.

The ICJ began work in 1946 when it replaced the Permanent Court of International Justice. According to the site, its functions include:

• Settling in accordance with international law the legal disputes submitted to it by States.
• Giving advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized international organs and agencies.

The Court is composed of 15 judges and can't include more than one judge of any nationality. The judges are elected to nine-year terms by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.

Visit the web site for some of the ICJ's most important decisions and its current docket. In addition, the web site features a comprehensive guide (based on a booklet prepared for the Court's 50th anniversary in 1996) to the history, composition, jurisdiction, procedure, and decisions of the ICJ.