Legality of Use of Force (Serbia and Montenegro v. France) - Preliminary Objections - Court to deliver its decisions on Wednesday 15 December 2004 at 3 p.m.

INTERNATIONAL COURTOFJUSTICE

Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel: +31 (0)70 302 23 23. Cables: Intercourt,
The Hague. Fax: +31 (0)70 364 99 28. Telex: 32323. E-mail address:
[email protected]. Internet address: http:/ .icj-cij.org.

Press Release
Unoftïcial

No. 2004/35
3 December 2004

Legality of Use of Force
(Serbia and Montenegro v. Belgium), (Serbia and Montenegro v. Canada);
(Serbia and Montenegro v. France); (Serbia and Montenegro v. Germany);
(Serbia and Montenegro v. Italy); (Serbia and Montenegro v. Netherlands);
(Serbia and Montenegro v. Portugal);and (Serbia and Montenegro v. United Kingdom)

Preliminary Objections

Court to deliver its decisions on Wednesd15 December 2004 at 3 p.m.

THE HAGUE, 3 December 2004. On Wednesday 15 December 2004 the International
Court of Justice (ICJ), principal judicial organ of the United Nations, will deliver its decisions
following the filing of preliminary objections by the respondent States in the eight cases concerning
Legality of Use of Force: (Serbia and Montenegro v. Belgium), (Serbia and Montenegro v.
Canada), (Serbia and Montenegro v. France), (Serbia and Montenegro v. Germany), (Serbia and
Montenegro v. Italy), (Serbia and Montenegro v. Netherlands),(Serbia and Montenegro v.

Portugal) and (Serbia and Montenegro v. United Kingdom).

A public sitting will be held at 3 p.m. in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace in
The Hague, during which the President of the Court, Judge Shi Jiuyong, will read the Court's
decisions.

History of the proceedings and final submissions of the Parties

The history of the proceedings and the final submissions of the Parties can be found in Press
Releases No. 2004/13 of 16 March 2004 and No. 2004118 of 3 May 2004. These are available on
the Court's website (www.icj-cij.org). On the home page, click on "What's new" and on the link
for the cases. Click then on the Press Releaser choice.

*

NOTE TO THE PRESS

1. The public sitting will be held in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace in The Hague,
Netherlands. Mobile telephones and beepers are allowed in the courtroom provided they are turned

off or set on silent mode. Any offending deviee will be temporarily retained.

2. Members of the Press may attend on presentation of a press card. The tables reserved for
them are situated to the far left of the public entrance to the courtroom. - 2 -

3. Photographs and TV shots may be taken for a few minutes only at the opening of the
sitting. The proceedings will be displayed live on a large TV screen in the Press Room, located on
the ground floor of the Peace Palace (Room 5). In the Press Room, it will be possible for TV crews

to connect recording equipment directly to the Court's new video system, but advance notice of this
should be given to the Information Department. There is also a facility for the connection of
sound-only equipment to the Court's audio system during the reading of the decisions.

4.At the end of the sitting, a press release, a summary of the Court's decisions and the full
text of the decisions will be distributed in the Press Room.

5. Ali the above-mentioned documents will also be available at that time on the Court's
website (www.icj-cij.org).

6. Members of the Press who wish to make telephone calls may use the phone located in the

Press Room for collect calls or the public telephones in the Post Office in the basement of the
Peace Palace.

7. Mr.ArthurWitteveen, First Secretary of the Court (tel.: +31-70-3022336), and

Mrs. Laurence Blairon and Mr. Boris Heim, Information Officers, are available to deal with any
requests from the Press and for the requirements of TV crews (tel.: +31-70-302 2337; e-mail
address: information @icj-cij.org).