Summaries of Judgments, AdNot an official documentrs of the Internationa
l Court of Justice
NOTTEBOHM CASE(PRELIMI[NARO YBJECTION)
Judgmentof 18 November 1953
In its Judgment in the Piottebohmcast: (Preliminary validityof its declarationof acceptanceof the compulsory
Objection)between LiechtensteandGuatemala,theCourt jurisdictionoftheCourtexpired a few weeafterthefiling
decided,unanimously,torejectthepreliminary objectton ofthe ApplicationbyLiechtensteinand, in anyevent,some
itsjurisdictionwhichhadbeer1raisedbyGuatsemala. considerabletimebefore any settlemtfthe disputebythe
On December 17th, 1951, Liechtensteinhad filed an Court.
Application instituting proceedings against uatemala, InitsJudgment,theCourtcametotheconclusion thatthe
claiming damages in respect of various m~easurwhich expiry on January26th, 1952, of the five-year periodfor
Guatemalahad taken againstthe person arid property of whichGuatemalahad accepted the compulsory jurisdiction
M. Nottebohm, in alleged cmntraventionof international of theCourtin accordance withArticle36, paragraph2, of
law. TheApplicationreferredto the declarationsby which the Statutedid notaffectany jurisdiction theCourt might
both Partieshadacceptedthe compulsoryjurisdictionofthe have to deal with the claimpresentedby Liechtensteinon
Court. December 17th, 1951.The Courtrejected the preliminary
Guatemalacontended that theCourtwasw.ithoujturisdic- objection and resumetheproceedings on themerits,fixing
tion, the principal groundfor its objectionbeing that theme-limitsforthe filingofthefurtherpleadings.
Summary of the Judgment of 18 November 1953