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Who are the key people and entities involved in the International Court of Justice?

Hailey McCreath

Well, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is a pretty complex institution, so there are a lot of people and entities involved in it! First of all, the ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, so it's closely related to that organization. The ICJ has 15 judges who are elected by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council for nine-year terms. These judges are from all over the world and they come from different legal systems, so they bring a lot of diversity and expertise to the court.

Another important group of people involved in the ICJ are the parties to a case. These can be states or international organizations that bring a dispute to the court for resolution. For example, right now there's a case between Ukraine and Russia over the annexation of Crimea, and both of those countries are parties to the case. The parties are represented by agents, who are usually lawyers, and they present arguments and evidence to the court on behalf of their country or organization.

There are also other actors who are involved in the ICJ. For example, the Registrar is the court's administrative head and is responsible for making sure that the court runs smoothly. There are also various chambers and committees within the court that deal with different kinds of cases or procedural matters. Additionally, there are a number of individuals and organizations who may submit written or oral statements to the court as "amicus curiae," or friends of the court. These submissions can provide additional information or perspectives on a case and can be an important part of the court's decision-making process.

Of course, the ICJ is not working in a vacuum, so there are a number of external factors that can impact its decisions and proceedings. For example, the political climate in the countries involved in a case can influence how willing they are to accept the court's ruling. Additionally, the court's decisions may be subject to criticism or praise from various civil society groups, media outlets, or international organizations. So, while the key people and entities involved in the ICJ are the judges, the agents, and the Registrar, they are not operating in a vacuum and their decisions are subject to a range of external pressures.

Overall, the ICJ is an important institution that plays a key role in international law and global governance. While there are a lot of actors involved in the court's proceedings, they all work together to ensure that disputes are resolved in a fair and just manner.