International Court of Justice
2 checked stories, newest 3 Nov 2026.
What the paper can ask
- Created by the UN Charter in 1945; first judges elected 6 February 1946; first met April 1946.
- 15 judges, nine-year terms, no two from the same country.
- Its judgments bind the parties but enforcement rests with the Security Council.
- Indian judges: Nagendra Singh was President (1985 to 1988); Dalveer Bhandari has sat since 2012 (term to 2027).
- President since March 2025: Yuji Iwasawa of Japan.
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ICJ to deliver Gambia v Myanmar Rohingya genocide judgment on 19 November
The top UN court, the ICJ, will give its decision on 19 November in the case where The Gambia says Myanmar broke the 1948 Genocide Convention in its treatment of the Rohingya, a minority group. The court cannot enforce its rulings.
Exam angle, detailsExam angle: ICJ cases, its seat and the Genocide Convention are standard international law questions.
Details
The International Court of Justice said on 3 November 2026 that it will rule on 19 November in the case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar over the treatment of the Rohingya minority. The case alleges breach of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. The court cannot enforce its decisions.
- ICJ announced on 3 November 2026 that it will deliver its judgment on 19 November 2026
- Case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar in 2019 under the 1948 Genocide Convention
- Judges have weighed the case for about seven years
- The ICJ has no means of enforcing its decisions
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UN General Assembly reaffirms climate obligations after ICJ advisory opinion
On 20 May 2026 the UN General Assembly voted 141 to 8 for a Vanuatu-led resolution backing the International Court of Justice's 2025 opinion that countries have legal duties to fight climate change. India abstained; the US voted against.
Exam angle, detailsExam angle: ICJ sits at The Hague and gave its climate advisory opinion in July 2025.
Details
On 20 May the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution reaffirming states' obligations to address climate change and recognising the ICJ's recent advisory opinion on the matter.
- UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on 20 May 2026 endorsing the ICJ's July 2025 climate advisory opinion, by 141 votes to 8 with 28 abstentions
- Tabled by Vanuatu (A/80/L.65) with about 90 co-sponsors
- Against: Belarus, Iran, Israel, Liberia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Yemen; India was among the abstainers
- Resolution is not itself binding
Test yourself
1.Although Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, the government, parliament and the International Court of Justice sit in
Correct. The Hague houses the Dutch government and parliament and the ICJ at the Peace Palace, while Amsterdam is the constitutional capital.
Not quite. The Hague houses the Dutch government and parliament and the ICJ at the Peace Palace, while Amsterdam is the constitutional capital. It goes into your error book.