Summary of the Order of 24 October 1957

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

INTERHANDEL CASE(INTERIM PROTECTION)

Orderof 24 October 1957

IntheInterhandelcase(Switzerlandv.thelJnitedStatesof duecourse.Inthis connection,theOrderstatesthatthispro-
interimmeasuresoffprotectio:a.herewasnoneedtoindicate deal with the meritsof the case and leaves unaffectedthe
right of the respondent tosubmit arguments againstsuch
The Interhandelcasewas brought beforethe Court byan jurisdiction,
ApplicationoftheSwissGove:rnmeno tfOctober%nd,1957,
bywhichtheCourtwasaskedtodeclarethatt!heGovernment
Interhandel,acompanyenteredintheComniercialRegisterreto
ofBasle, itsassetswhichhadbeenvestedintheUnitedStates
asfrom1942.OnOctober 3rd theSwissGovernmentasked AttachedtotheOrder are:
the Courtto indicate, as an iinterimmeasureof protection,-a SeparateOpinionof JudgeKlaestadwhoconsidersthat
andforaslongasthecasewaspending,that theUnitedStates the Court has nojurisdiction, in whichOpinionPresident
shouldnot partwiththoseassets and,in particul;u,not sell HackworthandJudgeReadconcur;
the sharesoftheGeneralAnilhneand FilmCorporation. -a SeparateOpinionofJudgeSirHerschLauterpachtwho,
TheRequestfortheindicationofinterim measuresofpro- whilebeinginagreementwiththeoperativepartoftheOrder
tectionwasdealtwith asamatterofpriority.Iluringhearings alsoconsidersthattheCourtiswithoutjurisdiction;
onOctober12thand 24th,theCourt heard01alargumentby -a Declarationby JudgeWellingtonKoovvhoagreeswith
theF'artieonthe subject.TheCourtalsotoo!kcognisanceof theopeirativepart without sharingreasonsuponwhichit
written statementssubsequeritly presentedby the Parties. isbased, and finally,
The decisionmadeby the Court reliedupon,a statementof
October19thby whichthe Governmentof tbeUnitedStates with theOrder.byJudgeKojevnikovwhoisunable toagree
declaredthatit was nottaking;actionat thepr4:senttfix to
atimescheduleforthesaleofthesharesinquestion.
TheGovernmentof the U~tlitStateshad contended that
the Courthad nojurisdictionto deal withthe matterof the
sale or dispositionof thehares. On that point, the Order OnOctoberath, 1957,theCourtalsoissuedanOrder fix-
issued by the Court statesthat PreliminaryObjcxtioare ing time limitsfor the presentationof the Memorialof the
dealtwithbyapplyingaprocedureotherthanthatwhich has SwissGovernmentonthe meritsandfor thepresentationof
beenprovidedforrequestsfoi:theindicationofinterim meas- theCounter-Memorialor anyPreliminaryObjectionsof the
uresofprotection;ifthecontc:ntioftheUnitedStateswere GovernmentoftheUnitedStates.Therestoftheprocedure is
maintained,it wouldfall to be dealt with by the Court inresewed forfurtherdecision.