Admissibility of Hearings of Petitioners by the Committee on South West Africa - Hearing of March 22nd, 1956

The following ulformtion from the Registry of the International
~aurt' of Justice has been communicate o the Press:

Ta-day the International Court of Justice held a hearing In the
Peace Pahce, The Hague inthe ~iatter of th:: Advisory Opinion concerning
the Admissibilitg of Hearings by the Cornmittee on South West kfrica
of the General iLssembly of the United Nations.

This matter was referred to the Court for an ij-dvisoryOpinion by e
resohtion of the General Assemblydated December 3rd, 1955, And the
question referred to the Court is as follows:

"1s it consistent with the advisorjr opinion of the
Internationu lourt of Justice of 11 July 1950 for the
Com?nitSee on South 'lJest i?.frica,established by Genersl
Rssenblg resolutian 749 A (PIII) of 28 November 1953, to
grant oral hearings to petitioners on mtters rel~ting to
the Territory of SouthJest kfrica?"

As soon as Tt +ras received by the Registry on Deceniber 22nd, 1955,
notice was given of the request for an Advisory Opinion to all states

entitled to appear hefore the Court, in pur.suance of Article 66, paragraph
1 of Yne Statute. Furthermore, in pursuance of paragraph 2 of.the same
article, the llemberç of the United Nations were notified that they were
considcred as likely to be able to furnish informtion on the question
and that the Court would be prepared to receivewritten statements from
thein within a Lime-1imj.t expiring on February 15th, 1956. The
Government of the United States of ihrica and the Goverment of the
Republic of China av~iled tk-tvmselves of this right and subrnitted a
wrikten statvmentg the Government of Indi2 inforned the Registrarby

letter that it did net consldsr it necessary to suimit any h~itten
statement in viw of the fact that its views had already been indicated
in the relevant records of the Tenth Session of the General .Lssemblg
of the United Nations.

On Febrimry lbth, -195 he Registrar informed the 14ember-s of the
United.?lations by letter that the Court would be prepared to hear oral
statements at a public sitting. It rms thiv sublic sitl;ing th3.t the
.- Court heLd to-da-, Only one goverment, the Goverment of the United
Kingdom of Great Sritain .and'Northern Ir elmd designat ed for thls purpos e

as its representative Sir Reginald Wanningham-Buller Q.C., iq,P., assisted
by MT, F. A. Vallat, C.M.G., Deputy Legal ,idviser to the Foreign Office.

Sir Reginald 14anningharn-Buller began and completed the stat ernent
an behalf of Her Majestyt s Government at this rnorningis sitting, which
closed at 12.45 p.m.

The Hague, Phrch 22nd,1956.