Study Guides: International Law: International Courts &amp; Tribunals

International courts & tribunals

The main principle behind international courts and tribunals is the commitment to resolve disputes between states by peaceful means.

There are a number of international courts and tribunals in the world, some operate under the frameworks of the United Nations, whereas others operate independently.

See below for links to major international courts, and tribunals. For more information, explore the research guides at the end of the page.

Courts

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the main judicial organ of the United Nations, and its role is to settle legal disputes submitted to it by member states.

International Court of Justice (ICJ) Principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its role is to settle legal disputes submitted to it and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it.
Research Guide on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - Dag Hammarskjöld Library Research Guide on the ICJ developed by the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, United Nations.
Peace Palace Library - Research Guide on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) A research guide on the International Court of Justice by the Peace Palace Library.

Other Independent Courts

International Criminal Court (ICC) An international court established to investigate, prosecute and try individuals accused of committing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
International Criminal Court (ICC) - Legal Tools Database Contains all decisions, filings and transcripts from the ICC and other international tribunals, human rights bodies and national courts.
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) An independent judicial body established by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the Convention.
Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) The CJEU interprets EU law to make sure it is applied in the same way in all EU countries.
European Court of Human Rights The judicial body of the Council of Europe. Responsible for interpreting the articles of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Permanent Court of Arbitration An intergovernmental organisation providing a variety of dispute resolution services to the international community.

Ad hoc tribunals

International Military Tribunal of Nuremberg A series of military tribunals held after World War II by the Allied forces under international law and the laws of war, in order to prosecute prominent members of the political, military, judicial, and economic leadership of Nazi Germany.
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) A UN court of law that deals with war crimes that took place during the conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990s.
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) A court established to try the senior leaders and the most responsible members of the Khmer Rouge for alleged violations of international law and serious crimes perpetrated during the Cambodian genocide.
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) Established in November 1994 by the UN Security Council to prosecute people responsible for the Rwandan genocide.
Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) A judicial body set up by the government of Sierra Leone and the UN to prosecute perpetrators for serious violations of international humanitarian law during the Sierra Leone Civil War.
International Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh (ICTB) Enacted for the purpose of prosecuting those who committed genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Bangladesh Liberation War 1971.
Library of Congress - International Tribunals Web Archive Contains selected websites on the most important international courts and tribunals created since World War II.

Other useful resources

WorldLII - International Courts & Tribunals Collection Contains decisions of various international tribunal cases.
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention) An instrument of international law that codified for the first time the crime of genocide, and was the first human rights treaty adopted by the General Assembly of the UN in 1948.

Research Guides

Research Guide on Courts & Tribunals - Dag Hammarskjöld Library Research Guide on Courts & Tribunals, developed by the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, United Nations.
Emory University Law Library Research Guide - International Courts A research guide on International Courts by the Emory University Law Library.
Peace Palace Library - Research Guide on International Criminal Law A research guide on International Criminal Law by the Peace Palace Library.

International Law: International Courts & Tribunals