Corfu Channel (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland v. Albania) - The Court holds a public hearing devoted to the final phase of the case

Communiqué No. 47/23.
Unofficizl.

The folloWlng informatio has been comunicated unofficiall to
the Pressby the Registry of the International Court of Justice.

The Internationzl Court of Justice hcld to-day (~hursday,
November Li'th, 1949) a publichearing in the Corfu Channel Case beheen
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the PeopleT s
' Republic of Alhania.

In its Judgment of April qth, 1949, the Cou~t had declared, inter
-alla, that Albznia was resoonsible for the explosions which occurred on
bozrd two British mrships.

To-dayFsheering was devoted to the final phase of the case:
the assessrnent of compensation due by Albania to the United Kingdom.

On opaningthe meek'ing, the Acting President, M. Guerrero,

explaineclthat President Basdevant, on a missionin New York, was kept
away from the Court, and that ilbess prevented Judge Fabela from
attendkg. He then called on Judge Krylov who wished to put a question
to the Agentof the United Kingdom.

The Presidentthencslledon Sir Eric Beckett, Agent of the
Government of the United Kingdom and Sir Frank Soskica,S~licitor hneral
of the United Kingdom.

The Albanian Governent was not represented at the heasing.

After the oral plesdlngs, the President. declared that the Cowt

had decided to appoint two experts to verify that the figurespresented by
the Government of the United Kingdom mre corroct.

The experts to be desjgnated in an Order which the Court intends to
make in a few days will be Recrr Admiral Berck and M. de Ziooy,Directorof
Naval. Constructions, both of Dutch nztion?J.ity.