Declaration by Judge ad hoc Sir Garfield Barwick (as appended immediately after the order)

Document Number
059-19741220-ORD-01-05-EN
Parent Document Number
059-19741220-ORD-01-00-EN
Document File
Bilingual Document File

538 NUCLEAR TESTS (ORDER 20 XII 74)

which the Order is based: because Fiji, which is not a party to the 1928
Act and to the optional clause system, has failed to invokein its applica-
tion any title ofjurisdiction in relation to France.
In my view, in order to be entitled to intervene under Article 62 of the

Statute for the purpose of asserting a right as against the respondent a
State must be in a position in which it could itself bring the respondent
before the Court.
WhenArticle 62ofthe Statute wasdrafted,its authors were proceeding
on the assumption that the intervening State would have its own title of
jurisdiction in relation to the respondent, since the draft Statute then
provided for general compulsory jurisdiction. When that system was
replaced by the optional clause, Article 62 remained untouched, but it
must be interpreted and applied as still subject to that condition. Other-
wise, unreasonable conçequences would result, in conflict with basic
principles such as those of the equality of parties before the Court and
the strict reciprocity of rights and obligations among the States which
accept itsjurisdiction. A State which cannot be brought before the Court

as a respondent by another State can neither become an applicant vis-à-
visthat State nor an interveneragainst that same State, entitled to make
independent submissions in support of an interest of its own. In my view
the provision in Article 69, paragraph 2, of theRules of Court requiring
"a statement of law and of fact justifying intervention" must in circum-
stances like those in the present case be interpreted as including the
requirement of establishing an independent jurisdictional link between
intervener and respondent.

Judge ad IzocSir Garfield BARWICK makes the following declaration:

1have voted in favour of the Order made in respect of the Application
by Fiji to intervene in these proceedings not because ofthe Order made by
the Court in the cases Australia v. France and New Zealand v. France
but solely for the reasons expressed by Judge Jiménezde Aréchagaand
Judge Onyeama in their declarations concerning the Fiji Order, with
which 1entirely agree.

(Initialled) M.L.
(Initialled) S.A.

Bilingual Content

538 NUCLEAR TESTS (ORDER 20 XII 74)

which the Order is based: because Fiji, which is not a party to the 1928
Act and to the optional clause system, has failed to invokein its applica-
tion any title ofjurisdiction in relation to France.
In my view, in order to be entitled to intervene under Article 62 of the

Statute for the purpose of asserting a right as against the respondent a
State must be in a position in which it could itself bring the respondent
before the Court.
WhenArticle 62ofthe Statute wasdrafted,its authors were proceeding
on the assumption that the intervening State would have its own title of
jurisdiction in relation to the respondent, since the draft Statute then
provided for general compulsory jurisdiction. When that system was
replaced by the optional clause, Article 62 remained untouched, but it
must be interpreted and applied as still subject to that condition. Other-
wise, unreasonable conçequences would result, in conflict with basic
principles such as those of the equality of parties before the Court and
the strict reciprocity of rights and obligations among the States which
accept itsjurisdiction. A State which cannot be brought before the Court

as a respondent by another State can neither become an applicant vis-à-
visthat State nor an interveneragainst that same State, entitled to make
independent submissions in support of an interest of its own. In my view
the provision in Article 69, paragraph 2, of theRules of Court requiring
"a statement of law and of fact justifying intervention" must in circum-
stances like those in the present case be interpreted as including the
requirement of establishing an independent jurisdictional link between
intervener and respondent.

Judge ad IzocSir Garfield BARWICK makes the following declaration:

1have voted in favour of the Order made in respect of the Application
by Fiji to intervene in these proceedings not because ofthe Order made by
the Court in the cases Australia v. France and New Zealand v. France
but solely for the reasons expressed by Judge Jiménezde Aréchagaand
Judge Onyeama in their declarations concerning the Fiji Order, with
which 1entirely agree.

(Initialled) M.L.
(Initialled) S.A. ESSAISNUCLÉAIRES (ORDONNAN2 C0EXII 74) 538

celui sur lequel se fonde I'ordonnance,à savoir que Fidji, qui n'est pas
partieà l'Actede 1928,ni au systèmede laclause facultative,n'ainvoqué,
dans sa requête, aucunlien dejuridiction avec la France.
Pour pouvoir intervenir en application de l'article 62 du Statut en vue
de faire valoir un droit contre le défendeur,un Etat doit se trouver dans
une situation qui lui permettrait d'attraire lui-mêmele défendeurdevant
la Cour.
Les rédacteurs de l'article 62 du Statut sont partis du principe que

1'Etatintervenant aurait son propre titre dejuridiction vis-à-visdu défen-
deur, carà l'époque leprojet de Statut envisageait unejuridiction obliga-
toire pour tous. Quand ce systèmea été remplacé par celui de la clause
facultative, aucun changement n'a étéapporté à l'article 62, mais, aux
finsde son interprétation et de son application, celui-cidoit êtreconsidéré
comme restant soumis à la mêmecondition. S'ilenallait autrement, il en
résulterait des conséquencesfâcheuses et incompatibles avec des prin-
cipes fondamentaux tels que ceux de l'égalitédes parties devant la Cour
ou de la réciprocitérigoureusedes droits et des obligationsentre lesEtats
qui acceptent sa compétence. Un Etat qu'un autre Etat ne peut pas
assigner comme défendeur devant la Cour ne peut pas non plus se pré-
senter comme demandeur ni comme partie intervenante contre ce même

Etat, avec la faculté de soumettre des conclusions indépendantes à
l'appui d'un intérêt propre.A mon avis, la disposition de l'article 69,
paragraphe 2, du Règlementde la Cour qui exigeque soient zxposéesles
((raisons de droit et de fait justifiant l'interve»tdoit s'entendre, en
des circonstances comme celles de la présenteespèce,comme imposant
aussil'obligation d'établirun lienjuridictionnelindépendantentrel'inter-
venant et le défendeur.

Sir Garfield BARWICK j,ge ad hoc, fait la déclaration suivante:

[Traduction]

J'ai votépour l'ordonnance relative àla requête de Fidjià fin d'inter-
vention dans la présenteinstance non pas en raison des arrêts rendus par
la Cour dans les affairesustralie c. Franceet Nouvelle-Zélandc. France
mais uniquement pour les motifs exposéspar MM. Jiménezde Aréchaga
et Onyeama dans leurs déclarations concernant l'ordonnance relative à
Fidji, quej'approuve entièrement.

(Paraphé)M.L.

(Paraphé) S.A.

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Document Long Title

Declaration by Judge ad hoc Sir Garfield Barwick (as appended immediately after the order)

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