Continental Shelf (Tunisia/Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) - Hearing to open on Wednesday 16 September 1981 at 10 a.m.

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INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel. 92 44 41. Cables: Intercourt,The Hague

Telex 32323
Cummuniq1~t5

uno fficia/
forrmmediate release

Na. 81/11
10 be2tem3er 1981

Continental Shelf (~unisial~ibyan :!rab Jarn&hiriya)

He~:.ring to open on Wednssday 16 Septenber 1981 at 10 8.m.

The followir,g infornation is made ~,vr,ilabk to the Press Gy the Registry
of the Internat ional Court of Justice :

Thé Cou-rt is to hoid ?ublic sittings beglnning on Ve6nesdzy
16 September 1981 at 10 a.rr,. in tke Con3inental Shelf case Setwccn Tunisia
and the Libyan Arsb Jamahiriy~. It will 5e hearing argument concerning
the deli~tstion of the continental slielf as betweeri thise two States,
which is the irnderlyin~: issue in the :)resent dispilte.

The case is before the Court by virtue of a Special Agreement

concluded between Tunisia and the Lil-yan hab Jamahiriya on 10 June 1977.
During the written proceedings each Party has file6 a !lenarial, s
Counter-I4emorial and a Reply withiri tirne-linits fixed in Orders r~ade by
the Presidciit of the Court havin,: regard to thc terras of the Special
Agreement and the wishes expresseci b3- the Fârties. V<th the filing of the

Replies the case becamc ready for hearin~:.

In the cours6 of -the written 1,roceedings the Governnaent of Malta,
considering tnat it ha(? an interest of E legal nature which niigtit be

affected by the decision iiithe csse, subrîiitterl an application for
pernission to intervene, but after niaring the arguments of Malta and the
Parties the Court deciiTzd, in .sJu3gnezi-t delivered on 14 April 1981, that
Malta's request could inot be granted.

Since the Court did not include w~ion the Bencn any Judge of the
nationality of the Parties, each of them ilns chosen 8 judge ad hoc in
accordance with Article 31 of the Statute. The Libyan Axb Jamahiriya

chose Mr. E. Ji~16nez de iiréchaga and Tuîisia. Mr. J. Evençen. Both riiade
the solem declaration required by tirticle 20 of the Statute at a public
sitting on 19 March 1981 and wiil not have ta reyeat it on 16 September.

/L. .:/ 3,f/ *a Ver e Gnder.. .

i Under the S~~eciai Agreement concluded hy Turiisia and the Libyan hab

Jamahiriya on 10 June 1977 the Court is requested to render its judgment
in the following xatter r

"h%at princinles and lijles of international law my be arplied
for the delimitction of thcz Prea of the continental shelf appêrtsininp

to the Socialist Fr?osleiç Lil~yan ira?.. Jaonhiriya and to the srea of
the coctinental shelf appertainine to the r!e-,ilblic of Suriisia, and
the Court shall tzke its decisic,r_ accorc?ing to equitat,le principles,
and the rel evmt cir cims tarxes w;iizil ckinr.zcterize the rtrea, as tiell
eus the new acceptecl trends irl the T~liici Conlmerence on the Law of the

Sea.

Xso, the Court is further rcquested to clari~f the i?r%ctical
method for the application of these principles and riiles in this
specific situation, so as to er,aLle tlie sxperts of the t~o countries
to delirnit these areas witkiout any dif ficulties ." (Engliçh text

furnished by the Governmcnt of th€ Libysn Araiz Jamahiriya,)

IDTE FOR Si;C IRZSS

1. The public sittings -,~ill Le helà in the Great Zall CL Justice of
the Peace Palaci.. Ilernbcrs of" t'ric prePç vil1 be entitled to atte~d then
on presentation of an ,zcirnis,;ion caïc, xllicn may 5e obtained Lpon ay~plication.
The tables reserved for then are situated on thc fsr left of the public
entrance to the courtroom.

2. Photogra~bs rr.ay be taire? before the oper~in~ and during the first
five minutes of'the zitting. Filnini, for cincma O:- televisi-on purposes
is nowever sut!j ect to .;:>eeinl aut!!or ization .

3. In the press Room, locat4 on the gro~md floor of the Peace Palace
(~oom 5), the orai proceedings will be relayed through a loudspeaker.

4. Nembei-s of the Piess IIIP~ use only the four ~ublic teleghones in the
Post Office in the basement aï the i'alace.

5. Kr. C. POIX, First Secrctary of che Court (tele~hone extension 233),
or, in his absence, MT. Sobli' (extension 340) ~rill he a,vails,blc- to deal
with nny requestî for infornztio~i 5y members of the Press.