Context:

  • The International Court of Justice (ICJ) recently ruled that Israel must take all measures within its power in order to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza.
  • It is to be noted that under Article 9 of the Genocide Convention - disputes between parties relating to the interpretation, application, or fulfilment of the Convention, including disputes relating to the responsibility of a State for genocide, shall be submitted to the ICJ at the request of any of the parties to the dispute.
  • The court observed that South Africa had publicly made multiple comments indicating Israel may have acted contrary to its obligations under the Genocide Convention.
  • But Israel had dismissed all notions of genocide in Gaza as morally repugnant.
  • The court held that the parties held opposite views concerning Israel’s obligations under the genocide convention and that this indicated a dispute between the two parties.
  • Also it is important to note that the ICJ stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.
  • South Africa’s plea before the ICJ had asked it to order Israel to immediately suspend all military operations in Gaza, as an interim measure.

About International Court of Justice:

  • It is also known as the World Court and is the only international court which adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on international legal
  • It is one of the six organs of the United Nations (UN).
  • ICJ is located in The Hague, Netherlands.
  • The ICJ consists of a panel of 15 judges who areelected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council for nine-year terms.
  • It is worth mentioning that no more than one judge of each nationality may be represented on court at the same time, and judges collectively must reflect the principal civilizations and legal systems of the world.
  • The ICJ is the only principal UN organ which is not located in New York City.
  • Its official working languages are English and French.