Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land (Belgium/Netherlands)

OVERVIEW OF THE CASE

The Court was asked to settle a dispute as to sovereignty over two plots of land situated in an area where the Belgo-Dutch frontier presented certain unusual features, as there had long been a number of enclaves formed by the Belgian commune of Baerle-Duc and the Netherlands commune of Baarle-Nassau. A Communal Minute drawn up between 1836 and 1841 attributed the plots to Baarle- Nassau, whereas a Descriptive Minute and map annexed to the Boundary Convention of 1843 attributed them to Baerle-Duc. The Netherlands maintained that the Boundary Convention recognized the existence of the status quo as determined by the Communal Minute, that the provision by which the two plots were attributed to Belgium was vitiated by an error, and that Netherlands sovereignty over the disputed plots had been established by the exercise of various acts of sovereignty since 1843. After considering the evidence produced, the Court, in a Judgment delivered on 20 June 1959, found that sovereignty over the two disputed plots belonged to Belgium.


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

Institution of proceedings

27 November 1957
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Written proceedings

15 February 1958
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30 June 1958
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Reply of the Belgian Government (French version only)
24 November 1958
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31 March 1959
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Oral proceedings

Verbatim record 1959/13 (bilingual version)
Minutes of the Public Hearings held at the Peace Palace, The Hague, from 27 April to 5 May and on 20 June 1959, the President, Mr. Klaestad, presiding
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Other documents


Orders

Fixing of time-limits: Memorial and Counter-Memorial
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Extension of time-limit: Counter-Memorial
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Fixing of time-limits: Reply and Rejoinder
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Judgments


Summaries of Judgments and Orders

Summary of the Judgment of 20 June 1959
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Press releases

29 November 1957
The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands files a special agreement by which the Netherlands and Belgium submit a dispute to the Court
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14 April 1959
Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land - The hearings will begin on April 27th, 1959
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23 April 1959
Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land - Representatives of the Parties at the hearings
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23 April 1959
Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land - Hearing of April 27th, 1959
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28 April 1959
Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land - Hearings of April 28th, 1959
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29 April 1959
Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land - Hearings of April 29th, 1959
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1 May 1959
Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land - Hearings of May 1st, 1959
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2 May 1959
Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land - Hearing of May 2nd, 1959
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4 May 1959
Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land - Hearing of May 4th, 1959
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5 May 1959
Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land - Hearing of May 5th, 1959
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18 June 1959
Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land - The Court will read its Judgment on Saturday, June 20th, 1959
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20 June 1959
Sovereignty over Certain Frontier Land - Judgment
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Correspondence

26 November 1957
Correspondence
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