Summary of the Judgment of 15 December 1949

Summaries of Judgments, AdNot an official documentrs of the Internationa
l Court of Justice

(CORFU CH.ANNEL CASE(ASSESSMENT OFAMOUNT

OFCOMPENSATION)

Judgmentof 15 December 1949

In a Judgment given on Aprilth, 1949,the Courtheld theirreporton December2nd;ata subsequentmeetingofthe
Albaniaresponsible,underinternationallaw, forthe explo-whodesiredfurtherenlightenment.othembycertainJudges
waters, and for thedamage and loss of human life that
resultedto the UnitedKingrlom.In the sameJudgment, the IntheJudgment summarizedherteheCourtstatesthat,as
Court concludedthatit hadjurisdictionto assesstheamounttheAlbanianGovernmenthas failedtodefenditscase, pro-
of the compensation,but it:was notableto do so immedi- cedun: in defaultof appearanceis brought intooperation.
ately,ascertaininformatio1aslacking. The Courthaving given adecisionin itsJudgmentof April
matter isresjudicataand nolongerindiscussion.pensation, the
Therewerethereforefurtlhlrroceedingstoenablethetwo
parties to investigate,proveor disputethesumsclaimedas Buteveninprocedureindefaultof appearance,theCourt
compensation. isbound tosatisfy itself thattheclaimiswellfoundedinfact
During these proceedings,Albaniaannlouncedits view and law.
that, inaccordancewiththe:termsoftheSpecialAgreement The Courtthereforeconsidersuccessivelythethreheads
signedbythetwoparties,theCourthadsolelytoconsiderthe of compensationin the United Kingdom claim:for the
question of principle whether Albania was, or was not, replacementof the destroyerSaumarez,which became a
obligedto pay compensatic~tno the UnitedKingdom,and totallossastheresultoftheexplosionsintheCorfuChannel;
that, in Albania'svietheCourthadnojurisdlictionto fix forthe:damage sustainebythedestroyerVolage;and finally
what the amountofcomper~sationshould be. Consequently, in respectofthedeathsand injuriesofnaval personnel.
Albaniadecided notto take:anyfurtherart inthepmceed- Onthe first twoheadsoftheclaimtheCourtstatesthat,in
ings. theview oftheexpertsappointedby it, the:figures givenby
At a public hearing on Novembe17th, 1949,theCourt, theUnitedKingdomGovernmentmaybeheldtobe anexact
after hearing therepresent.ativesof the lJnited Kingdom,nd reasonableestimateofthe damagesustained.
orderedanexaminationofthefiguresandestimatesproduced As regards theclaimforcompensationinrespectofnaval
bythe United Kingdomto beentrustedto experts,owingto persolinel,theCourtconsidersthat thedocumentsproduced
thetechnicalnatureofthe questionraised. bytheUnitedKingdomGovernmentare sufficientproof.
TheCourtthereforegives judgmentinfavouroftheclaim
Theseexperts,who were twospecialistsinnavalconstruc- oftheUnited Kingdomand condemns Albania to paytothat
tion andin warships,ofNetherlandsnationality, handedin countrya total compensatioff 843,947.