Relationship Between the Basis of the ICJ's Jurisdiction and the Claims of the Parties

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K13620
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: International law
• Research Institution: Toyo University
• Principal Investigator: Ishizuka Chisa 東洋大学, 法学部, 准教授 (30614705)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 国際司法裁判所 / 管轄権 / 先決的抗弁 / ジェノサイド条約 / 多数国間条約 / 裁判条項 / 暫定措置

Outline of Final Research Achievements

With the increasing variety of disputes brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in recent years, this research focuses on the relationship between the basis of the ICJ’s jurisdiction and the claims of the parties involved as a key indicator of recent trends. Initially, the research aimed to investigate (a) the potential use of actio popularis and (b) new applications for seeking enforcement of previous judgments. However, as the research progressed, disputes between hostile States emerged as a prominent issue due to applicant States invoking compromissory clauses in multilateral treaties as the basis for the Court’s jurisdiction. A key finding is that actio popularis is no longer exceptional. The ICJ has determined that parties not directly injured by the defendant State have standing, as evidenced in cases related to the Genocide Convention. Another significant finding is that provisional measures have become increasingly important in recent cases.

Free Research Field

国際公法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的には、一部の多数国間条約において実質的に民衆訴訟が認められることや暫定措置の有用性を確認することで、ICJがより広く利用される可能性が高いことを示しつつ、付託事件数・付随手続の増加などに伴うICJの司法機関としての課題や現行制度の限界等も指摘した。研究遂行期間中にミャンマーのロヒンギャ問題、ロシアのウクライナ侵攻、シリア内戦やイスラエルのガザ侵攻など国際社会の重要問題がICJに付託されたことで、ICJの役割が国内外で注目されるようになった。ICJの管轄権の問題など本件の研究に関係する論点の解説を適宜社会発信ができたことで、社会的な意義もあったと思われる。