The Decline of the International Court of Justice

Authors

Eric A. PosnerFollow

Publication Date

2004

Publication Title

Law & Economics Working Papers

Abstract

The International Court of Justice is the judicial organ of the United Nations and the preeminent international court, but its caseload is light and has declined over the long term relative to the number of states. This paper examines evidence of the ICJ’s decline, and analyzes two possible theories for this decline. The first is that states stopped using the ICJ because the judges did not apply the law impartially but favored the interests of their home states. The second is that the ICJ has been the victim of conflicting interests among the states that use and control it.

Number

233

Recommended Citation

Eric Posner, "The Decline of the International Court of Justice" (John M. Olin Program in Law and Economics Working Paper No. 233, 2004).

Additional Information

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