Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 (Italy v. France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America)

OVERVIEW OF THE CASE

A certain quantity of monetary gold was removed by the Germans from Rome in 1943. It was later recovered in Germany and found to belong to Albania. The 1946 Agreement on Reparation from Germany provided that monetary gold found in Germany should be pooled for distribution among the countries entitled to receive a share of it. The United Kingdom claimed that the gold should be delivered to it in partial satisfaction of the Court’s Judgment of 1949 in the Corfu Channel case. Italy claimed that the gold should be delivered to it in partial satisfaction for the damage which it alleged it had suffered as a result of an Albanian law of 13 January 1945. In the Washington statement of 25 April 1951, the Governments of France, the United Kingdom and the United States, to whom the implementation of the reparations agreement had been entrusted, decided that the gold should be delivered to the United Kingdom unless, within a certain time-limit, Italy or Albania applied to the Court requesting it to adjudicate on their respective rights. Albania took no action, but Italy made an Application to the Court. Later, however, Italy raised the preliminary question as to whether the Court had jurisdiction to adjudicate upon the validity of its claim against Albania. In its Judgment of 15 June 1954, the Court found that, without the consent of Albania, it could not deal with a dispute between that country and Italy and that it was therefore unable to decide the questions submitted.


This overview is provided for information only and in no way involves the responsibility of the Court.

Institution of proceedings

19 May 1953
Available in:

Written proceedings

30 October 1953
Procedure(s):Questions of jurisdiction and/or admissibility
Available in:
12 December 1953
Procedure(s):Questions of jurisdiction and/or admissibility
Available in:
15 March 1954
Procedure(s):Questions of jurisdiction and/or admissibility
Available in:

Oral proceedings

Verbatim record 1954 (bilingual version)
Minutes of the Public Sittings held at the Peace Palace, The Hague, from May 10th to 14th and on June 15th 1953, the President, Sir Arnold Mc Nair, presiding at the opening of the hearing, and Vice-President, M. Guerrero, acting President, presiding in the case of the Monetary Gold removed from Rome in 1943
Procedure(s):Questions of jurisdiction and/or admissibility
Available in:

Orders

Fixing of time-limits: Memorial and Counter-Memorial
Available in:
Fixing of time-limit: Written Statement on Preliminary Objection and Written Statements of observations and submissions on Preliminary Objection
Available in:
Extension of time-limit: Written Statements of observations and submissions on Preliminary Objection
Available in:

Judgments


Summaries of Judgments and Orders

Summary of the Judgment of 15 June 1954
Available in:

Press releases

20 May 1953
Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 (Italy v. France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America) - The Italian Government files an Application instituting proceedings against the Governments of France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America
Available in:
9 July 1953
Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 (Italy v. France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America) - Fixing of the time-limits for the filing of pleadings
Available in:
4 November 1953
Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 (Italy v. France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America) - The Italian Government deposits a document entitled "Question préliminaire"
Available in:
29 April 1954
Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 (Italy v. France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States) - Representatives of the Parties at the hearings which will begin on May 10th, 1954
Available in:
10 May 1954
Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 (Italy v. France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States) - Hearings of May 10th, 1954
Available in:
11 May 1954
Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 (Italy v. France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States) - Sitting of May 11th, 1954
Available in:
12 May 1954
Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 (Italy v. France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States) - Sittings of May 12th, 1954
Available in:
13 May 1954
Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 (Italy v. France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States) - Sitting of May 13th, 1954
Available in:
14 May 1954
Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 (Italy v. France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States) - Sitting of May 14th, 1954
Available in:
10 June 1954
Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 (Italy v. France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States) - The Court will pronounce its Judgment on Tuesday, June 15th, 1954
Available in:
15 June 1954
Monetary Gold Removed from Rome in 1943 (Italy v. France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States) - Judgment
Available in:

Correspondence

19 May 1953
Correspondence
Available in: