The international Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. The Court receives cases from states and international organizations. The court is also empowered to give advisory opinions when requested to do so by organs of the UN and specialized agencies.
The decisions of the court are only binding between the parties concerned and in respect to a particular dispute. If any party to a case fails to heed a judgment, the other party may have recourse to the Security Council. Generally, states have preferred to resolve their dispute outside of the jurisdiction of the court.
The Court consists of 15 judges for 9-year terms by the General Assembly and the Security Council. Retiring judges are eligible for re-election. The Court remains permanently in session, except during vacations. All questions are decided by majority. The Court sits in The Hague, Netherlands.