Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v. United States of America) - Hearing to open on 8 October 1984

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INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

Peace Palace, 2!517 KJ The Hague. Tel. 92 44 41. Cables: Intercourt, Ttre Hague

Telex 32323

unoCficial
for trnrnediats release

No. 84/28
27 Sepleriihor 1984

Hearing to oDen on 8 October in the case

concerning Military and Paramilitary Activities in
and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v. United States of America)

The following i~iformation is made available to the press by thc
Registry oE the International Court oE Justice.

On Monday 8 October 1984, at 3 p.m., the International Court of
Justice will open at the Peace Palace in The Hague a public hearing on
the questions of whel-her it has jiirisdiction to deal wit h tlie inerits of

the case brought by Nicaragua against the United States of Amprica on
9 April 1984, and whether Nicaragtia's application is admissible.

Nicaragua has alleged that the United States is responsible for the
conduct of unlawful activities of a military and paramilitary nature in
and against Nicaragua, and it accompanied its application with a requeçt

that the Court indicate provisional measures of protection pending its
decision oE the case, a step which the Court is able to tnke hefore

definitively resolving the qiiestion of its jurisdiction. Aftc,r tit>ariiig
the Parties, the Court granted that request in a11 Order of 10 Play 1984
(sce Press Coinmiiniqué No. 84/18) in which it also decided thnt the

written proceedings should first be directed to quesi. ions OF jiiri çc!ic-ti on
and adinissibility. A second Order, of 14 ;"l.iy 1984, iiidlr-:it ed 30 .lunr and
17 Atigust as the respective time-limits For L~IP filirig by Nir.nr;it:u<i of n

Mernorial, and by the United SLaLcs of a Coiin~far-Meinori,~l, on LIioc;c
qiicst ions, and these p'leadirigr; have hpc.11 diily siiF>iiiitti.(l.

Mt.anwhile, El Salvador h;~s f il4 a dec-l.aratiori nf iritervcritiori
wilhin the ineaning of Art. icle 67 of the Court 's St ni iite, vlii(.li en;thlr>.:

States to inttarvene if not ifit>d t hat th,. int erpr~tatiori or a irc3nty 1.0
wtiicli they are party is in issrie (see Press C~->mmiiriiqiii. S/t/?Ti). l'hc
Cotirt 's der i sion in regard to t liis der ldral ii)ri wi 1l in<icl~kiiowii t O t1113

press in n ~ribscqu~nt coinriiiiniqii6. Nicaragira has chosen Professor Claude-Albert Col liard, of Fr~rich

ii,itiori,îlity, to sit as a jiidge ad hoc in the case in ;iccordan(-~ witti tl~c
provisions of Article 31 of the Court's Statute, wliich entttles n Party
Lo inake suc11 an appointment where the Bench does iiot include .iriy judge

possessing its nationali ty. At the first public sitting Juclge ~~~~~~~~~~d
will, as tlie Statute reqiiires OF every judge taking office, rnnkc n soleinii
rl~clarnt ion that tic will carry out his duties conscie:itioiisl v.

NO'ïR FOR TtII< PRESS

1. The public sitting will b~ lie1.d in tlie Great tlall ot .III.;[ ii.cof
the Pence Palace. Meinbers of Ltie press will he entitled to ;itlr.iic1 it
after presentation of a press identification card and provisioii of

photocopy thereof. The tables reserved for the press are sitiiat-~d on Llie w
far l~f t of the public ent rance to ~tie courtroom.

2. Ptiotographs rnay be takeri before the opening niid cliii-iiig the First
few minrites of the sitting. Filining for cinema or televisioii purpiscs is

howev~r .;iibject to special aiit horizntion.

3. In the Press Room, located on the groi~nd floor of tlic
Pence Palace (Room 5), the oral proceedings will hrl relaycvl through a
lo~idspc~itker .

4. Meinbers of the pres.; rnay Lise nnly t lic ptihlic tc~l~plioiic~: [ri 1 lie

Post Off ice in the basernent of the Palace.

5. Mr. C. Poux, FirïL Secrelriry of the Coiirt (tclcplione

exteInsion 233), or, in his absence, Mr. Noble (extension 248) will be
:ivai lahlc to deal witli any i-~qrit'sts for inforrn,ii ion hy inc~:~ht.rs of tlie
I)rpss.