INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, Carnegieplein 2, 2517 KJ The Hague, Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0)70 302 2323 Fax: +31 (0)70 364 9928
Website: www.icj-cij.org
Press Release
Unofficial
No. 2012/3
26 January 2012
Construction of a road in Costa Rica along the San Juan River
(Nicaragua v. Costa Rica)
Fixing of time-limits for the filing of the initial pleadings
THE HAGUE, 26January2012. The Interna tional Court of Justice(ICJ), the principal
judicial organ of the United Nations, has fixed tim e-limits for the filing of the initial pleadings in
the case concerning the Construction of a road in Costa Rica along the San Juan River
(Nicaragua v. Costa Rica).
By an Order of 23 January 2012, the Cour t fixed 19 December 2012 and 19 December 2013
as the respective time-limits for the filing of a Memorial by the Republic of Nicaragua and a
Counter-Memorial by the Republic of Costa Rica.
The Court made the Order taking account of th e agreement of the Parties. The subsequent
procedure has been reserved for further decision.
History of the proceedings
On 22December2011, the Republic of Nicar agua instituted proceedings against the
Republic of Costa Rica “for violations of Ni caraguan sovereignty and major environmental
damages to its territory”, referring to the “onstruction [by Costa Rica] of a road running
parallel . . . to the southern bank of the [San Juan] River”.
Further details can be found in Press Rel ease No. 2011/40, available on the Court’s website
(www.icj-cij.org) under the heading “Press Room”/“Press Releases”.
___________
Note : The Court’s press releases do not constitute official documents.
___________ - 2 -
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
It was established by the United Nations Char ter in June1945 and began its activities in
April1946. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). Of the six
principal organs of the United Nations, it is the only one not located in New York. The Court has a
twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by
States (its judgments have binding force and are without appeal for the parties concerned); and,
second, to give advisory opinions on legal questi ons referred to it by duly authorized United
Nations organs and agencies of the system. The Court is composed of 15judges elected for a
nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. It is
assisted by a Registry, its international secretariat, whose activities are both judicial and diplomatic,
as well as administrative. The official languages of the Court are French and English.
The ICJ, a court open only to States for cont entious proceedings and to certain organs and
institutions of the United Nations system for advisory proceedings, should not be confused with the
other ⎯ mostly criminal ⎯ judicial institutions based in The Hague and adjacent areas, such as the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY, an adhoc court created by the
Security Council), the International Criminal Court (ICC, the first permanent international criminal
court established by treaty, which does not belong to the United Nations system), the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL, an independent judi cial institution composed of Lebanese and
international judges, which is not a United Nations tribunal and does not form part of the Lebanese
judicial system), or the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA, an in stitution founded in 1899,
which is independent of the United Nations).
___________
Information Department:
Mr. Andrey Poskakukhin, First Secretary of the Court, Head of Department (+31 (0)70 302 2336)
Mr. Boris Heim, Information Officer (+31 (0)70 302 2337)
Ms Joanne Moore, Associate Information Officer (+31 (0)70 302 2394)
Ms Genoveva Madurga, Administrative Assistant (+31 (0)70 302 2396)
Construction of a road in Costa Rica along the San Juan River (Nicaragua v. Costa Rica) - Fixing of time-limits for the filing of the initial pleadings