Sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge (Malaysia/Singapore) - Public hearings on the merits of the dispute to open on Tuesday 6 November 2007

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. 2006/38
16 November 2006

Sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks
and South Ledge (Malaysia/Singapore)

Public hearings on the merits of the dispute to open on Tuesday 6 November 2007

THE HAGUE, 16 November 2006. The public hearings in the case concerning Sovereignty
over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge (Malaysia/Singapore) will

open on Tuesday 6November2007 before the Inte rnational Court of Justice (ICJ), principal
judicial organ of the United Nations.

The detailed schedule for the hearings, which will be concerned with the merits of the
dispute, will be published at a later date.

History of the proceedings

On 24July2003, Malaysia and Singapore jointly submitted to the Court a dispute
concerning sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge.
They did so by notifying the Court of a SpecialAgreement between them which was signed on
6 February 2003 at Putrajaya and entered into force on 9 May 2003.

In the Special Agreement, the Parties requesthe Court “to determine whether sovereignty
over: (a) Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh; (b) Middle Rocks; (c) South Ledge, belongs to
Malaysia or the Republic of Singapore”. They agree in advance “to accept the Judgment of the

Court . . . as final and binding upon them”.
The Parties filed their Memorials and Counter-Memorials, as well as their Replies, within the

time-limits fixed by the Court, taking into account the provisions of the Special Agreement, in the
Orders dated 1 September 2003 and 1 February 2005, respectively.

In a joint letter dated 23January2006, the Pa rties informed the Court that they had agreed
not to submit Rejoinders. The Court having d ecided that no further written pleadings were
necessary, the case became ready for hearing.

___________

Website of the Court: http://www.icj-cij.org

Information Department:

Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Secretary of the Court, Head of the Department (+31 70 302 23 36)
Messrs. Boris Heim and Maxime Schouppe, Information Officers (+31 70 302 23 37)

Ms Joanne Moore, Assistant Information Officer (+31 70 302 23 94)
E-mail address: [email protected]