Legality of the Threat or Use by a State of Nuclear Weapons (Request for Advisory Opinion by the General Assembly of the United Nations) - Order fixing time-limits

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Communiqué

unofficial
for immediate releaae

No. 95/4
2 February 1995

Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons
(Request for Advisory Opinion)

Order fixing time-limits

The following information is communicated to the Press by the
Registry of the International Court of Justice:

As indicated in Press Communiqué No. 94/24 of 23 December 1994, the
General Assembly adopted on 15 December 1994 resolution 49-75 K,
requesting the Court

•urgently to render its advisory opinion on the following
question: 'Is the threat or use of nuclear weapons in any

circumstance permitted under international law?'"

The request was transmitted to the Court by the Secretary-General of

the United Nations in a letter dated 19 December 1994.

By an Order of 1 February 1995, the Court decided that States

entitled to appear before the Court and the United Nations might furnish
information on the question submitted to the Court and fixed:

- 20 June 1995 as the time-limit within which written statements may be
submitted (Article 66, paragraph 2, of the Statute of the Court) and

- 20 September 1995 as the time-limit within which States and
organizations having presented written statements may present written
observations on the other written statements (Article 66, paragraph 4,

of the Statute) .

The subsequent procedure is reserved for further decision.