Legality of Use of Force (Yugoslavia v. Spain) - Conclusion of the hearings on provisional measures - The Court ready to consider its decision

No. 99/20
12 May 1999

Legality of Use of Force
(Yugoslavia v. Belgium) (Yugoslavia v. Canada) (Yugoslavia v. France)
(Yugoslavia v. Germany) (Yugoslavia v. Italy) (Yugoslavia v. Netherlands)
(Yugoslavia v. Portugal) (Yugoslavia v. Spain) (Yugoslavia v. United Kingdom)
(Yugoslavia v. United States of America)

Conclusion of the hearings on provisional measures

The Court ready to consider its decision

THE HAGUE, 12 May 1999. The public hearings concerning the requests for the indication
of provisional measures submitted by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) in the

above-mentioned cases at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) were concluded today, enabling the
Judges to start their deliberations.

In its requests, Yugoslavia asked the Court to order the States involved to "cease immediately
[their] acts of use of force" and to "refrain from any act of threat or use of force" against the FRY.

At the opening of the hearings, on Monday 10 May 1999, five judges ad hoc took the oath
(Article 31 of the Court's Statute provides that Parties which do not have any judge of their
nationality on the Bench may appoint a judge ad hoc). They are Messrs. Milenko Kre_a
(Yugoslavia), Patrick Duinslaeger (Belgium), Marc Lalonde (Canada), Giorgio Gaja (Italy) and
Santiago Torres Bernárdez (Spain).

The Court then heard the Parties. Yugoslavia, as the applicant State, spoke first for two hours
in a common statement for all ten cases. It was followed by the respondent States in the English
alphabetical order. Each State had one hour to submit its arguments. The first round of oral
arguments was concluded on Tuesday 11 May 1999.

A second round of oral arguments was held today, Yugoslavia having one hour at its disposal

and the respondent States 15 minutes each.

The Court's decision on the Yugoslav requests for provisional measures in the ten cases will be
delivered in the coming weeks. It will be read at a public sitting on a date which will be announced
in a forthcoming press release.

Yugoslavia filed its requests for the indication of provisional measures on 29 April 1999 when
it instituted proceedings before the Court against the ten above-mentioned States, accusing them of
bombing Yugoslav territory in violation of their obligation not to use force against another State (for
further details, see Press Communiqué 99/17). - 2 -

NOTE FOR THE PRESS

The verbatim records of the hearings are available on the Court's website (address:
http://www.icj-cij.org).

____________

Information Office:
Mr. Arthur Witteveen, Secretary of the Court (+ 31 70 302 2336)
Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Information Officer (+ 31 70 302 2337)
E-mail address: [email protected]