International Court of Justice Ruling
1996 Decision Against Nuclear Weapons
The World Court declared the threat and use of nuclear weapons to be generally contrary to international law on July 8, [1996] in the Peace Palace in the Hague. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), highest judicial body in the world, unanimously upheld that the complete elimination of nuclear weapons is a legally binding obligation.Responding to a request by the UN General Assembly, the ICJ delivered its advisory opinion despite appeals by four of the five nuclear weapon states to decline to issue a judgment. The court refused a related request from the World Health Organization (WHO), claiming lack of…
