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Simple English definitions for legal terms
World Court
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A quick definition of World Court:
The World Court, also known as the International Court of Justice, is a part of the United Nations that helps solve legal disputes between countries. It has fifteen judges who are elected for nine years and its headquarters are in The Hague, Netherlands. The World Court has two main functions: to solve legal disputes between countries and to give advice on legal matters to certain organizations. When solving disputes, the World Court uses international treaties, customs, and previous judicial decisions to make a final and binding decision. When giving advice, the World Court's opinions are not always binding, but sometimes they are.
A more thorough explanation:
The World Court is also known as the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It is the main legal body of the United Nations (UN). The World Court was created in 1945 by the UN's Charter. It is the only UN organ that is not located in New York City. The World Court is located in The Hague, Netherlands, at the Peace Palace.
The World Court has fifteen judges who are elected for a nine-year term by the UN's General Assembly and Security Council. The official languages of the World Court are English and French.
The World Court has two main functions:
The World Court helps to solve legal disputes between states that are members of the UN or have accepted its jurisdiction. The court's decision is final and binding on the parties involved. The World Court applies international treaties and conventions, international custom, general principles of law, previous judicial decisions, and the teachings of the most highly qualified publicists to solve a contentious case. The court may also decide ex aequo et bono, which means that the judges may consider what is fair and equitable for the case instead of applying the above-related sources.
If two countries have a disagreement about their borders, they can bring their case to the World Court. The World Court will listen to both sides and make a decision about where the border should be. The decision is final and both countries have to accept it.
The World Court provides legal advice to UN organs, specialized agencies, and affiliated organizations. The General Assembly and Security Council can request legal advice on any matter. Other UN organs and specialized agencies can request advice on legal matters related to their activities. The World Court's advisory opinions are not binding, but some international instruments and regulations establish that an advisory opinion has a binding force.
If the UN wants to know if a new law they want to pass is legal, they can ask the World Court for advice. The World Court will give them an opinion, but the UN does not have to follow it.