World Court: Seeking a Warmer Venue

In theory, the 15 judges of the World Court in The Hague form the top tribunal for resolving disputes under international law. In fact, they have decided only about two dozen largely forgettable cases since 1946. Now the judges yearn to leave the Peace Palace that has been their headquarters. Most of them are in their 70s, and they complain that drafts in the palace are conducive to rheumatism. In a resolution currently before the United Nations, they seek to revise a U.N. statute that restricts the court to The Hague.

The judges, who are from different nations and earn...

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