Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A principal judicial organ of the United Nations: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the main judicial body of the United Nations, established to adjudicate legal disputes between member states and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized UN organs and specialized agencies.

Usage

• The International Court of Justice is used to refer specifically to this permanent, global court located in The Hague, Netherlands. It is often mentioned in contexts of international law, diplomacy, and conflict resolution between countries.

Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The two nations agreed to bring their border dispute before the International Court of Justice.
  • The International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the wall built in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
  • The ruling of the International Court of Justice is binding on the parties involved in the case.

Advanced Usage

• "to bring a case before the International Court of Justice": to submit a legal dispute for adjudication by the ICJ.

  • The country decided to bring the case of maritime boundaries before the International Court of Justice.

• "advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice": a non-binding legal counsel provided by the ICJ upon request from a qualified UN body.

  • The General Assembly sought an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the issue of climate change obligations.

Variants and Related Words

• ICJ: The common acronym for the International Court of Justice.

  • The ICJ is sometimes called the World Court.

• World Court: An informal name for the International Court of Justice.

  • The case was heard at the World Court in The Hague.

Synonyms

• World Court: Informal synonym.
• Principal judicial organ of the United Nations: Formal descriptive synonym.

Related Phrases

• Contentious case: A legal dispute between states submitted to the International Court of Justice for a binding judgment.

  • The International Court of Justice handles both contentious cases and requests for advisory opinions.

• Statute of the International Court of Justice: The constitutional document that establishes the Court's functions and procedures.

  • The Court's jurisdiction is defined in its Statute.

Noun

1. a court established to settle disputes between members of the United Nations