With reference to the United Nations and its related Agencies, answer the following questions:
State the composition of the International Court of Justice.
Topic: International Court of Justice
Answer
(1) The Court consists of FIFTEEN JUDGES, no two of whom may be nationals of the same country. They are chosen for their competence in international law and are meant to represent the main forms of civilisation and the principal legal systems of the world. (2) They are ELECTED by the General Assembly and the Security Council voting separately and independently; a candidate must secure an absolute majority in both. (3) Their term is NINE YEARS, one-third retiring every three years, and they are eligible for re-election. The judges elect their own President and Vice-President for three years, and the Court sits at THE HAGUE in the NETHERLANDS — the only principal organ of the UN not based in New York.
Three marks: the number of judges, how they are elected, and their term. The two figures are constantly swapped in examination answers, so fix them as a pair: 15 JUDGES, 9 YEARS. Note the location carefully — THE HAGUE is in the NETHERLANDS, not Switzerland. Several published keys make that mistake, so it is worth being certain.