Written question asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 17 March 2016, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 4 April 2016. It was answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative) on Friday, 1 April 2016 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Marshall Islands: Nuclear Disarmament

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why their representatives in the International Court of Justice on 14 March requested the Court to declare that it lacked jurisdiction over the claim brought against the UK by the Marshall Islands, or that the claim is inadmissible, and under what circumstances they believe the International Court of Justice has jurisdiction.

Answer: The UK's representatives requested the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to declare the case inadmissible because that was our assessment following our analysis of the Marshall Islands’ claim. The detail of the UK’s legal arguments is contained in its written preliminary objections to jurisdiction and admissibility, as filed with the Court on 15 June 2015 and oral pleadings, as delivered at the public hearings held at the Court between 9 and 16 March 2016. The question of whether the ICJ has jurisdiction in a particular set of circumstances is a matter to be determined by the Court on a case-by-case basis in light of the relevant facts.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: HL7151
Session: 2015-16
Subjects: Jurisdiction Nuclear disarmament International Court of Justice Marshall Islands
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk