What was the first-ever case at the World Court?

What was the first-ever case at the World Court? - Foundational, Judicial, Historic

Emerging from the turmoil of the Second World War and the formation of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was established as the principal judicial organ of the UN, tasked with a dual mandate: to adjudicate legal disputes between states and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it. The ICJ's inaugural contentious case encapsulated its foundational principles of justice and equality among nations. In 1946, the United Kingdom brought a case against Albania concerning mine explosions in the Corfu Channel that had damaged British naval vessels. This landmark case not only tested the Court's judicial prowess but also underscored the international community's faith in the ICJ as a beacon of peace and fairness. Representatives from both the United Kingdom and Albania, Hartley Shawcross and Khareman Ylli respectively, expressed their nations' confidence in the Court's role in upholding international law and ensuring equality among states, setting a precedent for the ICJ's future in international jurisprudence.