Northern Cameroons (Cameroon v. United Kingdom)

OVERVIEW OF THE CASE

The Republic of Cameroon claimed that the United Kingdom had violated the Trusteeship Agreement for the Territory of the Cameroons under British administration (divided into the Northern and the Southern Cameroons) by creating such conditions that the Trusteeship had led to the attachment of the Northern Cameroons to Nigeria instead of to the Republic of Cameroon, the territory of which had previously been administered by France and to which the Southern Cameroons had been attached. The United Kingdom raised preliminary objections to the Court’s jurisdiction. The Court found that to adjudicate on the merits would be devoid of purpose since, as the Republic of Cameroon had recognized, its judgment thereon could not affect the decision of the General Assembly providing for the attachment of the Northern Cameroons to Nigeria in accordance with the results of a plebiscite supervised by the United Nations. Accordingly, by a Judgment of 2 December 1963, the Court found that it could not adjudicate upon the merits of the claim.


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

Institution of proceedings


Written proceedings

12 December 1961
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Oral proceedings

Verbatim record 1963/1 (bilingual version)
Minutes of the Public Hearings held at the Peace Palace, The Hague, from 19 September to 3 October and on 2 December 1963, the President, M. Winiarski, presiding
Procedure(s):Preliminary objections
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Other documents


Orders

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


Summaries of Judgments and Orders

Summary of the Judgment of 2 December 1963
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Press releases

1 June 1961
Northern Cameroons - The Government of the Republic of Cameroon files an Application instituting proceedings against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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10 July 1961
Northern Cameroons - Time-limits for Pleadings
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8 November 1961
Northern Cameroons - Extension of the time-limits for the filing of the Memorial and Counter-Memorial
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11 July 1962
Northern Cameroons - Extension of the time-limit for the filing of the Counter-Memorial of the United Kingdom
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14 September 1962
Northern Cameroons - The United Kingdom Government presents a preliminary objection to the jurisdiction of the Court
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29 November 1962
Northern Cameroons - Extension of the time-limit for the filing of the Observations and Submissions of Cameroon on the United Kingdom's Preliminary Objection
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14 January 1963
Northern Cameroons - Extension of the time-limit for the filing by Cameroon of its Observations and Submissions on the United Kingdom's Preliminary Objection
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9 July 1963
Northern Cameroons - The hearings on the Preliminary Objection will begin on 19 September 1963
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11 September 1963
Northern Cameroons - Representatives of the Parties at the hearings
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19 September 1963
Northern Cameroons - Hearing of 19 September 1963
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23 September 1963
Northern Cameroons - Hearings of 19 to 23 September 1963
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27 September 1963
Northern Cameroons - Hearings of 25, 26 and 27 September 1963
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1 October 1963
Northern Cameroons - Hearings 30 September and 1 October 1963
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3 October 1963
Northern Cameroons - Hearings of 3 October 1963
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26 November 1963
Northern Cameroons - The Court will deliver its Judgment on the Preliminary Objections on 2 December 1963
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2 December 1963
Northern Cameroons - Judgment (Preliminary Objections)
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Correspondence

30 May 1961
Correspondence
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