Continental Shelf (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya/Malta) - Hearing to open on Wednesday 25 January 1984 at 10 a.m.

INTERNATIONAL -Coüiiii OF JUSTICE

Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel. 92 44 41. Cables: Intercourt, The Hague

Telex 32323
Communiqué

unofficial
for ~mmediaterelease

No. 84/1
Last Communiqué in 1983 19 January 1984
series was No. 83/7 -

Continental Shelf (Libyan Arab Jamahi.riya/Malta)

Hearing to open on Wednesday 25 January 1984 at 10 a.m.

The following infsormation is made available to the press by the

Registry of the Intern,ational Court of Justice:

The Court will hold public sittings beginning on Wednesday
25 January 1984 at 10 a.m. in the Continental Shelf case between the
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Malta. It will hear argument on the

Application for permission to intervene in the case presented by the
Government of Italy. The Court will be addressed by representatives of
Italy, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Malta.

In the case concerning the dispute between the Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya and Malta relating to the delimitation of the continental
shelf between the two States, the Agents of the Parties have filed their
Mernorials and Counter-Memorials within the time-limits fixed. On
24 October 1983, the Government of Italy filed an Application for
permission to intervene in the case under Article 62 of the Statute of

the Court. That Artic1.e reads as follows:

"1. Should a State consider that it has an interest of a
legal nature which may be affected by the decision in the case,
it may submit a request io the Court to be permitted to
intervene.

2. It shall ble for the Court to decide upon this request."

The Government of Italy indicates in its Application that the object
of its intervention in the case concerning delimitation of the
continental shelf between the h.ibyan Arab Jamahiriya and Malta is to

enable it to participate in the proceedings to the full cxtent necessary
to defend its rights over certain areas claimed by the Parties, so that
the Court rnay be able to take those rights into uccourt in its decision.

The. .. The Parties havefiledwrittenobservations, havingbeen invitedto
do so in accordance withArticle 83 of the Rules of Court. Since
objection hasbeen made toItaly'sapplication forpermissionto
intervene, theCourtwill hear theState seekingto interveneand the
Parties beforedeciding(Art. 84 of the Rules of Court).

Since the Court did not include uponthe Bench any judgeof the

nationalityof the LibyanArab Jamahiriya or Malta, each had chosena
judgead hoc in accordancewith Article31 of the Statute. The Libyan
Arab JamahiriyachoseMr. E. Jiménez deAréchagaand Malta Mr. Castazeda.
Both madethe solemndeclarationrequiredby Article 20of the Court's
Statuteat a public sitting on 14 October1983 and will not haveto
repeat it on 25 January1984.

NOTE FOR THE PRESS

1. The public sittings will be held in the GreatHall of Justiceof
the Peace Palace. Members of the Press willbe entitledto attendthem
on presentationof an admissioncard,which may be obtainedupon
application. The tablesreservedfor them are situatedon the far left
of the public entranceto the courtroom.

2. Photographsmay be taken before theopeningand duringthe first

five minutes of the sitting. Filmingfor cinemaor televisionpurposes
is however subject to specialauthorization.

3. In the Press Room,locatedon the ground floor of the Peace
Palace (Room 5), the oral proceedingswill be relayedthrough a
loudspeaker.

4. Members of the Pressmay use only the four public telephonesin
the Post Office in the basementof the Palace.

5. Mr. C. Poux, First Secretary of the Court (t.elephonextension233),
or, in his absence,Mr. Noble (extension 248) will be availableto deal
with any requestsfor information by members of the Press.