Norwich bulletin., 1920-09-15
Project for Court of
 International Justice
Text as Adopted by The Ha- que Committee of Jurists Made Public Yesterday.

Made Public Yesterday.
 London, Sept. 14-The headquarters of the league of nations today made public the text of the project for a per manent court of international justice, as adopted by the Hague committee or jur- ists of which Elihu Root was a member, together with a letter from the council or the league to all governments which have entered the league of nations
 The council of the league, in its letter to the government says: The council do not propose to express any opinion on the merits of the scheme until they have had full opportunity of consider ing it. It states. however, that the project was prepared by a most com petent tribunal representing widely diff ferent national points of view. It adds "The council would regard as irrecon- cilable difference of opinion on the mer- it's of the scheme as an international misfortune of the graYest kind. It would mean that the league was publicly com pelled to admit it's incapacity to carry | out one of the most important of the tasks which it was invited to perform. The failure would be great and probably | irreparable; for, if agreement proves i'm possible under circumstances apparently l so favorable, it is hard to see how how when the task of securing it will be sue cessfully resumed"
 The council states it will later submit it's recommendations to the assembly of | the league of nations.
 Some of the features of the proposed world court have already been summar- ized from The Hague but the draft giv- en out today gives the axact terms of 1 the entire project, consisting of 62 ar ticles divided into three chapters on or ganization, competence of court and pro
 cedure. A preamble states the genera purposes of the court as follows: A permanent court of internationa justice, to which parties shall have di rect access is hereby established, in ac cordance with Article If of the covenan
 of the league of nations. This cour
 shall be in addition to the court of ar
 bitration organized by The Hague con
 vention of 1899 and 1907, and to tn
 special tribunals of arbitration of whic
 states are always at liberty to subnii
 their disputes for settlement. Articles ? and 3 give the membershi of the court as follows:
 The permanent court of internations
 justice shall be composed of a body c ' independent judges, elected regardless c
 their nationality, from amongst person ? | of high moral character, who posses , the qualifications required, in their re spective countries, for appointment { |
 consults of recognized competence in 1T
 ternational law.
 The court shall consist of fiftee
 members: Eleven judges and four deput . judges. The number. of judges an 7 deputy judges may be hereafter il e creased by the assembly, upon the pr' . posal of the council. of the league of n; T tions, to 8 total of fifteen judges and s 2 deputy judges.
 Q 2 of nlnn h. ind
 the different national groups is pro l. vided The members of the court a e elected for nine years. The presidei = and the vice president of the court ser e for three years. The seat of the court n established at The Hague. A sessic r. shall be held each year beginning Jur S 15, and an extraordinary session ma S be called whenever necessary by u = president of the court, who must resit s at The Hague. The full court of elev, 1t judges shall sit, but if eleven are n Ii available nine judges shall suffice l. constitute the court. Three judges sit
 1 chambers annually to hear and dete
 mine summary procedure. Salaries
 the court are fixed and expenses borl
 by the league of nations.
 $ Article 51 gives the court jurjsdictit over suits between states. The court ! l. open by right to states belonging 10 st L. league Other states may have acce r. to it under conditions provided by | l. league.
 B. Article B provides: when. a dispu
 has arisen between states, and it h s, been found impossible to settle it by ( re plomatic means, and no agreement h in been made to choose another jursd '6 tion, the party complaining may bri d the case before the court. The cou 4 shall first of all, decide whether [ ig preceding cond aions have been con
 piled with, if so, it shall hear and ( te termine the dispute according to IS terms and within the limits of the nc * article.
 y- The question which the court is co e. potent to determine. between membC lg of the league, are given as follows:
 'The interpretation of a treaty. ,s. Any question of international law g. The existence of any fact which, he established, would constitute a brea si- of an international obligation. he "The nature or extent of reparation
 be made for the breach of an inter-
 tional obligation.
 The interpretation of sentel ST passed by the court"
 The court shall also take the cog ,n zance of all disputes of any kind wh B.. mey be submitted to it by a general o0 particular convention between the ? Ln- ties.
 
 ,as plies international conventions, inter in- tional customs, general principles of
 recognized by civilized nations. and n- cisons and teachings of the most hig O. qualified publicists of various nations rs state desiring to have recourse g. the court makes application to the T IF: istrar, who notifies the court and l.. members of the league. If the disp nt- concerns an act which is imminent nd court has power to suggest provisio
 measures to preserve the rights of o6 parties. The hearings in. court shall 20. public and the decisions of the co ng shall be by majority of the judges pl fth ent at the hearing. In case of a tie rs, president casts the deciding vote.
 official language of the court is Frer ust but another language may be authori A.. at the request of parties to case.
 The draft also provides extended I
 visions for the recording, revision l Judgments etc,