      the international court of justice (; commonly referred to as the world court or icj) is the primary judicial branch of the united nations. it is based in the peace palace in the hague, netherlands. its main functions are to settle legal disputes submitted to it by states and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international branches, agencies, and the un general assembly. ==activities== established in 1945 by the un charter, the court began work in 1946 as the successor to the permanent court of international justice. the statute of the international court of justice, similar to that of its predecessor, is the main constitutional document constituting and regulating the court.statute of the international court of justice. retrieved 31 august 2007. the court's workload covers a wide range of judicial activity. after the court ruled that the u.s.'s covert war against nicaragua was in violation of international law (nicaragua v. united states), the united states withdrew from compulsory jurisdiction in 1986. the united states accepts the court's jurisdiction only on a case-by-case basis.churchill, ward. a little matter of genocide. san francisco: city lights 
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