The International Court of Justice has launched a free mobile device app called CIJ-ICJ, which allows users to keep abreast of developments at the Court in its two official languages, French and English.

Automation push

The app provides essential information on the Court and its activities, including on pending and concluded cases, decisions, press releases and the Court’s judicial calendar. It also allows users to receive real-time notifications as soon as a new decision or press release is published, and enables members of the media to register for accreditation for the Court’s public hearings and readings. The app consists of five sections: “Court” introduces the ICJ; “Cases” lists the 176 cases dealt with by the Court since 1946; “Decisions” gives access to all of the Court’s judgments, orders and advisory opinions; “Press” shows every press release published since the Court’s establishment; and “Calendar” contains the dates of all public hearings and sittings, as well as a link to the Court’s online accreditation procedure. Users are encouraged to enable notifications to allow them to receive in real time. The launch is part of the Registry’s recent efforts to use modern technology to provide information about the Court, and makes the Court the first international judicial body in the Netherlands to put such a tool at the disposal of the public.

New registrar

At a private meeting held on 22 May 2019, the ICJ elected Philippe Gautier, of Belgian nationality, to the post of Registrar. He will succeed Philippe Couvreur who is retiring on 1 July 2019. Mr Gautier is currently the Registrar of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), a post which he has held since 2001, having served as Deputy-Registrar of the same Tribunal from 1997 to 2001. Prior to that, he had held the positions of Deputy Director, Head of the Law of the Sea/Antarctica Office (1991-1995), and Director, Head of the Treaties Division (1995-1997), at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is a member of various scientific and learned bodies, extraordinary professor at the Université catholique de Louvain and a visiting professor at various other universities and author of numerous publications. Mr Gautier has been elected for a term of seven years. His primary duties will be to assist the Court in the exercise of its judicial functions and to be responsible for diplomatic relations between the Court and States.