RULESOFCOURT(1978)ADOPTEDON14APRIL1978ANDENTEREDINTOFORCEON1JULY19781PREAMBLE*TheCourt,HavingregardtoChapterXIVoftheCharteroftheUnitedNations;HavingregardtotheStatuteoftheCourtannexedthereto;ActinginpursuanceofArticle30oftheStatute;AdoptsthefollowingRules.__________*Amendmententeredintoforceon14April2005.[1]AnyamendmentstotheRulesofCourt,followingtheiradoptionbytheCourt,arenowpostedontheCourt'swebsite,withanindicationofthedateoftheirentryintoforceandanoteofanytemporalreservationsrelatingtotheirapplicability(forexample,whethertheapplicationoftheamendedruleislimitedtocasesinstitutedafterthedateofentryintoforceoftheamendment);theyarealsopublishedintheCourt'sYearbook.Articlesamendedsince1July1978aremarkedwithanasteriskandappearintheiramendedform.PARTITHECOURTSECTIONA.JUDGESANDASSESSORSSubsection1.TheMembersoftheCourtArticle11.TheMembersoftheCourtarethejudgeselectedinaccordancewithArticles2to15oftheStatute.2.Forthepurposesofaparticularcase,theCourtmayalsoincludeupontheBenchoneormorepersonschosenunderArticle31oftheStatutetositasjudgesadhoc.3.InthefollowingRules,theterm“MemberoftheCourt”denotesanyelectedjudge;theterm“judge”denotesanyMemberoftheCourt,andanyjudgeadhoc.Article21.ThetermofofficeofMembersoftheCourtelectedatatriennialelectionshallbegintorunfromthesixthofFebruary1intheyearinwhichthevacanciestowhichtheyareelectedoccur.2.ThetermofofficeofaMemberoftheCourtelectedtoreplaceaMemberwhosetermofofficehasnotexpiredshallbegintorunfromthedateoftheelection.__________[1]ThisisthedateonwhichthetermsofofficeoftheMembersoftheCourtelectedatthefirstelectionbeganin1946.Article31.TheMembersoftheCourt,intheexerciseoftheirfunctions,areofequalstatus,irrespectiveofage,priorityofelectionorlengthofservice.2.TheMembersoftheCourtshall,exceptasprovidedinparagraphs4and5ofthisArticle,takeprecedenceaccordingtothedateonwhichtheirtermsofofficerespectivelybegan,asprovidedforbyArticle2oftheseRules.3.MembersoftheCourtwhosetermsofofficebeganonthesamedateshalltakeprecedenceinrelationtooneanotheraccordingtoseniorityofage.4.AMemberoftheCourtwhoisre-electedtoanewtermofofficewhichiscontinuouswithhisprevioustermshallretainhisprecedence.5.ThePresidentandtheVice-PresidentoftheCourt,whileholdingtheseoffices,shalltakeprecedencebeforeallotherMembersoftheCourt.6.TheMemberoftheCourtwho,inaccordancewiththeforegoingparagraphs,takesprecedencenextafterthePresidentandtheVice-PresidentisintheseRulesdesignatedthe“seniorjudge”.IfthatMemberisunabletoact,theMemberoftheCourtwhoisnextafterhiminprecedenceandabletoactisconsideredasseniorjudge.Article41.ThedeclarationtobemadebyeveryMemberoftheCourtinaccordancewithArticle20oftheStatuteshallbeasfollows:“IsolemnlydeclarethatIwillperformmydutiesandexercisemypowersasjudgehonourably,faithfully,impartiallyandconscientiously.”2.ThisdeclarationshallbemadeatthefirstpublicsittingatwhichtheMemberoftheCourtispresent.Suchsittingshallbeheldassoonaspracticableafterhistermofofficebeginsand,ifnecessary,aspecialsittingshallbeheldforthepurpose.3.AMemberoftheCourtwhoisre-electedshallmakeanewdeclarationonlyifhisnewtermisnotcontinuouswithhispreviousone.Article51.AMemberoftheCourtdecidingtoresignshallcommunicatehisdecisiontothePresident,andtheresignationshalltakeeffectasprovidedinArticle13,paragraph4,oftheStatute.2.IftheMemberoftheCourtdecidingtoresignfromtheCourtisthePresident,heshallcommunicatehisdecisiontotheCourt,andtheresignationshalltakeeffectasprovidedinArticle13,paragraph4,oftheStatute.Article6InanycaseinwhichtheapplicationofArticle18oftheStatuteisunderconsideration,theMemberoftheCourtconcernedshallbesoinformedbythePresidentor,ifthecircumstancessorequire,bytheVice-President,inawrittenstatementwhichshallincludethegroundsthereforandanyrelevantevidence.Heshallsubsequently,ataprivatemeetingoftheCourtspeciallyconvenedforthepurpose,beaffordedanopportunityofmakingastatement,offurnishinganyinformationorexplanationshewishestogive,andofsupplyinganswers,orallyorinwriting,toanyquestionsputtohim.Atafurtherprivatemeeting,atwhichtheMemberoftheCourtconcernedshallnotbepresent,themattershallbediscussed;eachMemberoftheCourtshallstatehisopinion,andifrequestedavoteshallbetaken.Subsection2.JudgesadhocArticle71.Judgesadhoc,chosenunderArticle31oftheStatuteforthepurposesofparticularcases,shallbeadmittedtositontheBenchoftheCourtinthecircumstancesandaccordingtotheprocedureindicatedinArticle17,paragraph2,Articles35,36,37,Article91,paragraph2,andArticle102,paragraph3,oftheseRules.2.TheyshallparticipateinthecaseinwhichtheysitontermsofcompleteequalitywiththeotherjudgesontheBench.3.JudgesadhocshalltakeprecedenceaftertheMembersoftheCourtandinorderofseniorityofage.Article81.ThesolemndeclarationtobemadebyeveryjudgeadhocinaccordancewithArticles20and31,paragraph6,oftheStatuteshallbeassetoutinArticle4,paragraph1,oftheseRules.2.Thisdeclarationshallbemadeatapublicsittinginthecaseinwhichthejudgeadhocisparticipating.IfthecaseisbeingdealtwithbyachamberoftheCourt,thedeclarationshallbemadeinthesamemannerinthatchamber.3.Judgesadhocshallmakethedeclarationinrelationtoanycaseinwhicht