ICJ - Establishment, Nature & Seat

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and the successor to the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ).

• Establishment: Established under Article 1 of the Statute of the ICJ, which itself derives from the Charter of the United Nations — established in June 1945.
• Seat/Headquarters: The Hague, at the Peace Palace, in the Netherlands (Article 22 of the Statute).
• Term of a judge of the International Court of Justice is 9 years.
• Nature: Functions as the principal judicial organ of the UN — not an inter-state negotiation forum or an administrative body.
• Parties to the Statute (Article 93): All members of the United Nations are automatically parties to the Statute of the ICJ.
• Binding nature of jurisdiction: The ICJ's jurisdiction is not binding on all members of the UNO — it only binds states that have consented to a particular case/dispute.
• Notable fact: Muhammad Zafar Ullah Khan served as a judge of the ICJ from Pakistan, from 1954 to 1964.