Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) July 8, 1996: on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons by International Court of Justice.

On July 8, 1996, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the judicial branch of the United Nations, issued its advisory opinion, The Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons. The ICJ found 1) that the threat or use of nuclear weapons "would generally be contrary" to humanitarian and other international law regulating the conduct of warfare, and 2) that under Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and other international law states are obligated to "bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control.

Advisory Opinion Text and Supporting Documents (July 8, 1996):

• full text
• Declaration of Mohammed Bedgaoui, President of the International Court of Justice
• Declaration of Judge Herczegh (French text only)
• Declaration of Judge Shi Jiuyong
• Delcaration of Judge Vereshchetin
• Declaration of Judge Ferrari Bravo (French text only)
• Separate Opinion of Judge Guillaume (French text only)
• Separate Opinion of Judge Ranjeva (French text only)
• Separate Opinion of Judge Fleischhauer
• Dissenting Opinion of Judge Weeramantry
• Dissenting Opinion of Judge Koroma
• Dissenting Opinion of Judge Higgins
• Dissenting Opinion of Vice-President Schwebel
• Dissenting Opinion of Judge Oda
• Dissenting Opinion of Judge Shahabuddeen

Additional Resources regarding the Legality of Nuclear Weapons:

• LCNP: Annotated Bibliography of Articles, Books, and Papers concerning the World Court Opinion on Nuclear Weapons
• Francis A. Boyle (2002), The Criminality of Nuclear Deterrence, Clarity Press Inc.
• Dr. John Burroughs (1997), The (Il)Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons, Lit Verlag.
• Introduction
  
• Forward and Order Form
• Ann Fagan Ginger, editor (1998), Nuclear Weapons are Illegal, W.W. Norton and Company.
• Dr. Charles J. Moxley, Jr. (2000), International Law and Nuclear Weapons in the Post Cold War World.
• Synopsis