ZI mai 1952.
Monsieur l'Agent,
Ala date du 17mai 1952. VOUS avez bien voulu déposerles conclusions
du Gouvernement hellenique en l'affaire Ambatielos.
Le texte signépar vous contient les mots suivants, à la fi11du premier
paragraphe :n ....et égalementles articles Iet 3 dutraitédu 16juillet!
1926 ...8. Je vous serais obligéde bien vouloir me faire connaître si
ces numéros d'articles sont bien exacts oii s'il ne convient pas plut6t
de lirecles articlesI et 4 du traité ».
Veuillez agréer,etc.
85. THE AGEST OF THE GOVERSMENT OF THE USITED KINGDOM TO THE
REGISTRAR
~1st May 1952.
Sir,
1 have the honour to refer to the question which Judge Hsu Mo put
to the two Agents in the Amhatielos case at the public Sitting of the
Court on Saturday, 17th May (C.li. 5213.page 3 1).
Judge Hsu Mo asked whetlier the United Kingdom Government did,
or did not, ratify the Declaration of 1926 as well as the Treaty of 1926.
1 gave a provisional answer to this question, on behalf of the Uiiited
Kingdom Government, at the end of tlie proceedings on 17th May
(C.R. 5213, page 51 1). 1 have now had an opportunity to investigate
the matter further and 1 have the honour to ask you to convey tlie
following information to the Court.
The original instrument of ratification of the Treaty of 1926 by the
United Kingdom was handed to the Hellenic Government and Professor
Henri Rolin, on behalf of tlie Hellenic Government, informed the Court
that it had been destroyed during the war (C.R.5213,page 35 a).1have,
however, found in the Foreign Officerecords a copy of the United King-
dom's instmment of ratification, which was printed, and from this it
appears that the United Kingdom did not ratify the Declaration. A
certified photostat copy of this document is enclosed herewith 3.It is
true that the Declaration is printed on the back of the copy of the
Treaty contained in the ratification, but this is only because the printed
edition of the Treaty prepared for signature (wliichhad the Declaration
printed on the back) was also used, as is customary, for the instrument
of ratification, and it should not be inferred that the ratification was
intended to cover the Declaration as well as the Treaty.
As 1 pointed out to the Court, it is quite understandable that the
United Kingdom's instrument of ratification should not refer to the
Declaration, since the Declaration contains no provision expn:ssly
' Sec p. 316.
'. .. pp. 508-jog.552 PART IV.-CORRESPONDEXCE
requiring ratification to bring it into force and therefore, in accordance
with the United Kingdom's constitutional practice, it came into force
as regards the United Kingdom without the necessity for ratification.
In this respect, it differed from the Treaty of 1926, Article 32 of wliich
requires ratification.
The Court will observe that the Certificate of Exchange of Ratifica-
tions (a copy of which has heeu deposited with the Court by the Greek
Agent) refers only to the Treaty, it thus conforms with the United
Kingdom instrument of ratification, thouglisit errs in stating that the
respective ratifications of the two Parties were "exactly conformable
to each other". The explanatiou may be that those responsible for
exchanging the instmments of ratification did not consider the reference
to the Declaration in the Hellenic Republic's instrument of ratification
to be of any importance since only the Treaty contains a provision
requiring ratification.
1 have, etc.
(Signed \'. V. J. EVANS.
23 mai 1952.
Monsieur l'Agent,
J'ai l'honneur de vous transmettre ci-joint copie d'une lettre du
zi mai 1952 par laquelle l'agent du Gouvernement du Royaume-Uni
fait connaître sa réponseà la question posée$ar,M. Hsu Mo à l'audience
tenue par la Cour le 17 mai en I'affaire Am atielos, ainsi que copie de
l'instrument de ratification dont il est fait mention dans cette lettre.
Je ne puis vous adresser la photocopie certifiéeconforme de cet instru-
ment de ratification, le Gouvernement britannique n'en avant transmis
qu'un exemplaire. Celui-cipourra êtreconsultéàu Greffepar vous-même
ou par tout représentant accréditépar vous.
VeuillezagAer. etc
La Haye, le 24 mai 1952.
Ilonsieur le Greffier,
En réoonse à votre lettrsub na16218 '.i'ail'honneur de vous informer
qu'à la .fin du premier paragraphe des'~onclusions du Gouvernement
hellénique déposéesau Greffe en l'affaire Ambatielos, on doit lire :«les
articlesr, 3 ei 4 du traita $.
Veuillez agréer,etc.
(Signé ). G. LELY.
' La méme communication a 6th envoyee à l'agent du Gouvernement du
Royaume-Uni.
'Voir n' 85.
Written answer of the United Kingdom to the question posed by Judge Hsu on 17 May 1952