Order of 28 May 2024

28 MAI 2024
ORDONNANCE
DEMANDE CONCERNANT LA RESTITUTION DE BIENS CONFISQUÉS DANS LE CADRE DE PROCÉDURES PÉNALES (GUINÉE ÉQUATORIALE c. FRANCE)
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REQUEST RELATING TO THE RETURN OF PROPERTY CONFISCATED IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS (EQUATORIAL GUINEA v. FRANCE)
28 MAY 2024
ORDER
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
YEAR 2024
2024
28 May
General List
No. 184
28 May 2024
REQUEST RELATING TO THE RETURN OF PROPERTY CONFISCATED IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS
(EQUATORIAL GUINEA v. FRANCE)
ORDER
The President of the International Court of Justice,
Having regard to Article 48 of the Statute of the Court and to Articles 31, 44, 45, paragraph 2, and 48 of the Rules of Court,
Having regard to the Application filed by the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (hereinafter “Equatorial Guinea”) on 29 September 2022 instituting proceedings against the French Republic (hereinafter “France”) concerning the alleged violation, by France, of its obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption of 31 October 2003,
Having regard to the Order of 15 December 2022, whereby the Court fixed 17 July 2023 and 19 February 2024 as the respective time-limits for the filing of a Memorial by Equatorial Guinea and a Counter-Memorial by France,
Having regard to the Memorial and the Counter-Memorial duly filed by the Parties within those time-limits;
Whereas, on 14 May 2024, a meeting was held by the President of the Court with the Agents of the Parties pursuant to Article 31 of the Rules of Court, in order to ascertain their views on the subsequent procedure in the case;
Whereas, at this meeting, the Agent of Equatorial Guinea stated that his Government was in favour of a second round of written proceedings and that each of the two States could be given a period of ten months to file its written pleading; and whereas the Agent of France made it known that
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his Government was also of the view that a second round of written pleadings would be useful and that a ten-month period for the preparation of each of the corresponding written pleadings would be appropriate;
Taking into account the agreement of the Parties,
Fixes the following time-limits for the filing of the written pleadings:
28 March 2025 for the Reply of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea;
28 January 2026 for the Rejoinder of the French Republic;
Reserves the subsequent procedure for further decision.
Done in French and in English, the French text being authoritative, at the Peace Palace, The Hague, this twenty-eighth day of May, two thousand and twenty-four, in three copies, one of which will be placed in the archives of the Court and the others transmitted to the Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the Government of the French Republic, respectively.
(Signed) Nawaf SALAM,
President.
(Signed) Philippe GAUTIER,
Registrar.
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