World Courts
Out of all of The Hague’s gorgeous landmarks, the Peace Palace is certainly the most impressive. This impression, however, might be somewhat biased as the Palace is literally a “temple of peace and justice.” Situated in the very center of The Hague, the Palace houses the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. As if this were not enough, the Palace is also the home of the prestigious Hague Academy of International Law, and to the Peace Palace Library. As the principal judicial body of the United Nations, the ICJ is the only one of the UN’s six main organs not situated in New York. Having the jurisdiction to hear cases between member-states, this “World Court” does not deal with individuals. In the next few weeks, the Court will be holding public hearings on a case between Malaysia and Singapore regarding a land title issue.
But The Hague’s hegemony in international law does not stop here. Indeed, the International Criminal Court is also situated in the city, near Scheveningen, the coastal area of The Hague. Contrary to the ICJ, the ICC has jurisdiction to prosecute individuals, but does not try individuals unless present in the courtroom. Next week, the Court will be hearing Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo’s appeal. Found guilty, in 2016 of two counts of crimes against humanity (murder and rape) and three counts of war crimes (murder, rape, and pillaging), Bemba is currently detained in The Hague, awaiting his appeal. The Court often holds private hearings, but this one will be held publicly in the Appeals Chamber. While spots are extremely limited, I hope to be able to attend as hearings are said to be the most exciting part before trials.
