International Court of Justice

ICJ: The Lighter Side of the Law

by Divya Sharan

As I stepped into the room, I struggled to stand under the weight of the air pushing down on me – a sensation distinctly different from the lightness of the air on the other side of the door. The thick air was split by the voice of Brian Pettitt-Scheiber, the advocate of Belgium, from Atlanta International School, as he presented his opening statement along with evidence to support his claims.

This is the manner in which proceedings began on Monday morning in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The first case put forth to the Court, as mentioned in an unofficial press release from the ICJ, was a dispute between the Kingdom of Belgium and the Republic of Senegal "regarding Senegal's compliance with its obligation to prosecute the former President of Chad, Hissène Habré, or to extradite him to Belgium for the purposes of criminal proceedings". By Tuesday evening, both sides would have presented their evidence. From then on, it is up to the sixteen judges in the ICJ to deliberate the final outcome of the case.

The serious expressions on the faces of everyone in the room are representative of the nature of their work. However, that doesn't stop members of the ICJ from having fun, too. On Monday morning, the advocates, judges, and officers took a short trip to the International Peace Palace in The Hague where the actual ICJ meets.

Judge Ayesha Dayaram, from International School Manila, commented, "The trip to the International Peace Palace was my best experience in the Hague so far. It was really informative and it really put our work in the ICJ into perspective." Other delegates agreed with her sentiments. Judge Jacqueline Cremos, from American Community Schools, Athens, was impressed by how "the culturally diverse mix of artwork represented the international atmosphere of the ICJ."

Aside from the meeting, members of the ICJ also took time out on Monday to plan a surprise birthday party for Deputy President, Guan Zhen Tan, from Mont' Kiara International School. He later commented that "it was the sweetest thing ever."

Such moments were hard to come by in the course of the day. After all, the ICJ is a judicial court. Both Tan and Mr. Stern, the ICJ Advisor, looked forward to serious debate in the coming few days. Tan said he was looking forward to "seeing deep debate and people reading between the lines of the law," while Mr. Stern said he looked forward to the students "getting it" – "understanding the legal process and using the right terminology." There is no doubt that the pressure in the room will intensify, but the members of the ICJ can look forward to lighter moments both outside the meeting, such as an informative trip on Wednesday, as well as lighter moments during proceedings in the ICJ.