Summaries of Judgments, Advisory Opinions and Orders of the Internationa
l Court of Justice
Not an official document
FISHERIESJURISDICTIONCAS (ENITEDKINGDOM v.ICELAND)
(INTERIMPROTECTION)
Order of12July 1873
FISHERIES JURISD1C:TIOC NASE(FEDEIRAL REPUBLICOF GERMANY
v.I'CEL.ANI(1 I)NTERIMPROTECTION)
Order of 12July 1973
ByOrdersmade on12July 1973ineachofthetwo Fisher- upon by the Governments concerned, based on catch-
eralRepublicofGermanyv. Iceland)theCorn, by 11votes- by the Court and on related restrictions concerning areas
to 3, confirmed thatthe provisionalmeasunzsindicatediclosedto fishing,numberand type of vesselsallowed and
operative paragraph 1 of the Orders of 17August 1972 formsofcontroloftheagreedprovisions;
should, subjectto the powdrrevocationcr modification
conferredon the Courtby pe~:cagr7hof Article:61 of its -that the Court, pendingtheinaldecision, and in the
1946Rules,remainoperativeuntiltheCourthas givenfinal cernedto preserve,ythe indicationof promisionalmeas-
judgmentineachcase. ures,ht:rightswhichmaysubsequentlybeadjudgedbythe
In makingthesetwo Ordeirsthe Courtwascornposedas CourttobelongrespectivelytotheParties.
follows:
PresidentLachs; Vice-PresidentAmmoun;Judges For-
ster, Gros,Bengzon,Petdn., Onyeama,Ipacio-Pinto, de
Castro,Morozov,JimenezdeMchaga, SirZIumphrey Wal-
dock,NagendraSinghandRu~da.
ToeachofthetwoOrdersJudge Ignacio-Pinto appendda Itmay be recalledthat, in itsOrdersof 17 August 1972,
declarationandJudgesGrosundPetdn appendeddissenting madeby 14 votes to1, theCourt, inoperativeparagraph1,
opinions,indicatingtheirreasonsforcaa1negcdvevote. had indicatedinterimmeasuresofrotectiointo the effect,
intealin,thattheParties shouldeofthemensurethatno
action c~fany kind was taken which migh.taggravateor
anymeasurestoenforcethenewregulationspromulgatedon
thesubjectof thelimitsof its exclusivefisheryzoneagainst
Inthe considerationstheurt mentionsineach Order, itvesselsregisteredin the UnitedKingdomor in the Federal
recalls: RepublicofGermany, andthat thevesselsinquestion should
-that negotiations hatiken place oaretakingplace not take annualcatchesof more than0,000or 119,000
betweenthe Statesconcernedwith a view to reachingan metric tons respectiv. he two Orders in questionalso
interimarrangementpendinfinalsettlementofthedisputes;containednoperativeparagrap2inthefollowingterms:
-that theprovisickl miaruresindicatedbythecourt do "Unless the Court has meanwhiledelivered itsfinal
not excludean interimarran.gementwhich:maybe agreed judgmentinthecase,itshall,atanappropriatetimebefore
Continued on next page 15August1973,review the matteratthe requestofeither Court to confirm the opinionof his Government that the
Partyin ordertodecidewhether thefonsgoing measures Orcaeof 17August1972wouldcontinueto be operativeafter
shallcontinueorneedtobemodifiedorn:voked.*' 15August1973.
On 2 February 1973the Cow delivered.two Judgments By a telegramof 2 July 1973the Governmentof Iceland
findingthatit possessedjurisdictionto deal witheachof the(whichhas notappalintedanagentorrecognizedthecompe-
twocasesand, on 15February1973,itmadetwoOrdersfix- tenceoftheCourt)submittedobservationsontheserequests,
ing the time-limitsforthewrittenproceedin~sn themerits protested againstcc:ntinuationofthe measuresindicated,
ineachcase. maintained thathighly mobile fishingfleetsshould notbe
On 22 June 1973the Agent for the United Kingdom allowedtoinflictaconstant threatofdeteriorationof thefish
requestedthe Courtto confirm thatthe interim measuresof stocksandendangerthe viabilityof a one-source economy,
protection indicatedby the Courtwouldccwtinueuntil the andconcluded thatI:freezethe present dangeroussituation
Court had givenfinal judgmentin thecaseor until further mightcauseirreparableharmtotheinterestsoftheIcelandic
order,andtheAgentfor the FederalRepubliicrequestedthe nation.
Summary of the Order of 12 July 1973