World Court Review

This article signifies the importance of the World Court and its emphasis on peace amongst nations. Also known as the International Court of Justice, the World Court's function is to have a set of general international laws to follow, even if all nations may not abide by them. One of these hesitant countries includes the United States, even though U.S Judge Joan Donoghue is one of fifteen members of the World Court. "When states aren't in compliance with international legal obligations, certainly as a member of the court, that's concerning to me" said Donoghue. The U.S unaffiliated itself with the World Court after the Court deemed the U.S responsible for helping arm Contras in Nicaragua.

Surprisingly, the World Court has little power to enforce its judgments; but, in the past, most nations have accepted decisions, regardless of legality.

Unfortunately, hope of the United States joining the World Court's jurisdiction is slim. Even when George W. Bush wanted to reconsider the issue at hand, the state of Texas argued his power to do so. "Some (people) were very doubtful that a World Court could ever be a place that could avoid wars and other problematic means of resolving disputes" said Donoghue.

This article is newsworthy based on the fact that U.S Judge Joan Donoghue is a member of the World Court without the support of her own country. Since the United States is a country so highly involved in international trade, it should be expected they be a part of the World Court.

2. One fact I learned from this article was that the World Court exists. It was established by the United Nations in 1945 and is stationed in The Hague, Netherlands. The World Court's main function is to handle civil disputes between nations; therefore, making it significant to business law. Even though the "set of rules" they base decisions on cannot be legally enforced, they are guidelines to how nations can negotiate disagreements. The second fact I learned was that the United States does not follow the World Courts jurisdiction. This is important in regards to business law because even though the United States is not on board, The International Court of Justice continues to develop its International laws. The United States usually has great impact on world issues and development, which is not the case in this situation.

3. I believe that the issues discussed in this article have an impact on international trade interests globally. Since the United States does not follow the World Court jurisdiction, other nations may not feel comfortable conducting business internationally. Even though the World Court only has guidelines to follow, it may be unsettling for another nation who does follow its jurisdictions. By the United States neither adhering to the World Court nor joining the body, it may act as an indicator to potential business pitfalls. In my opinion,