Nottebohm (Liechtenstein v. Guatemala) - Judgment

Communiqué No. 53/41
(unof ficial)

The fcllowing information frorn the Registry of the International.
Court of Justice has been communicate do the Press:

The International Court of Justice at The Hague today (Ncvembes l&h,
1953) defivered its Judgment in the Nottebohm case (~reliminary Objection)
between Liechtenstein and Guatemala. It decided, unanimousl ,yto re j ect
the preliminary objectionto its jurisdiction which had been raisedby
Guatemala .

On December 17th, 1951, Liechtenstei had filed an Application
instituting proceedings against Guatemala, clalming damages in respect of
various measures which Guatemala had taken against the gerson andproperty
of M. Nottebohm, in slleged contravention of internatiorial law. The
Application referred to the declzratlons by khich bo-th Fahies had
accepted the eornpulsory jurisdiction of tho Court.

Guatemala contended that the Court was without jurisàict ion, the
principal ground for its objection being th& the validity of its
&clarztion of acceptance of the compulsriry jurisdictian of the Court
èxpired a few weeksafter ths filing of the Application by Liechtenstein
and, in any event, some considerable th-e befora my settlment of the
dispute by the Court.

In its Judgrii~nt, the Court cms to the conclusion that the emiry on
Jmuary 26th, 1952, of the five-year period for which Guatemala had.. ..
accepted the compulsory. jurisdiction of the Courtin accordance with
Article 36, paragrqh 2, af the Statute did nct affect my jurisdiction
the Court might haveto deal with the claim presentcd by Liechtenstein
on December 17th, 1951. The Court re jected the przlirninary o,bjection
md resumedthe proceedings on the merits, fking time-luriits for the '

filing of the further pleadings.

The Hague, Novenber 1&h, 1953.