The International Court

International Court
Flag Seal
Capital	Cartwright, Layfet
Type	judicial union
Leaders
• Chief Justice	Santiago M. Romero of Layfet
Establishment
• Charter of the International Court	4 January 2015
Website ic.int

The International Court, sometimes known as the World Court, the International Court of Anteria, the Supreme Court of the World, is an international governmental organization that settles disputes between its member states in accordance with international law and gives advisory opinions on other various areas of international law. The court's decisions are only binding to its member states, however it is on its member states to collectively work together to enforce the courts decisions. The court will occasionally hear disputes on non-member states, however these decisions are only advisory and non-binding, with one exception relating to the World Assembly. The court will also take no action to ensure enforcement of advisory opinions. Currently, the IC is the only international court that adjudicates general disputes between countries, with its rulings and opinions serving as primary sources of international common law.

The IC was established on January 4th, 2015. The Charter of the IC sets forth its purposes, rules, statues, format, and procedure. The IC is a bench of 7 judges elected by delegates for twenty-year terms. The International Court is headquartered in Cartwright, Layfet

History

The idea of an international institution established for the purpose of settling international disputes was proposed by Executive Minister Edmond Dantes of Layfet to the Pact of the Republics in 2008, however logistical reasons and the various limitations imposed by the Pact of the Republics's charter prevented the idea from evolving and it faded from discussion. Renewed efforts came later when Dantes brought up the idea to Sebric Federal Minister of Justice Zakāria Insbruk and Kentalian Minister of Justice Antoniya Vlasova. The three worked with committees within their governments and drafted the Charter of the International Court in late 2014. After it was ratified by the Kentalian, Sebric, and Layfetian governments, the IC was established on January 4th 2015. Anterpol and the International Bar Association were all constituted shortly thereafter on January 15th. After various talks with the Bakyern government, on February 9th, 2020, The IC created International Pre-Trail and Post-Trail Services, which was created to delegate certain services of the court. IPTPTS shortly contracted United Correctional Facility Corporation with thereafter to build the International Prison Complex, construction of which will be completed in early 2021. The ICP is owned by the United Correctional Facility Corporation but will comply with IPTPTS policy. In 2020, the IC became a semi-autonomous branch of the World Assembly.

Selected Cases

Name:	Case:	Date of Trail:	Charge:	Ruling/Sentence:	Notes
Logan J. Tours of Template:Country data Layfet	International Community v. Tours	16 February 2016.	Terrorism (International)	Tours, the grandson of the former leader of the Template:Country data Stratocracy of Layfet had planted a bomb at the International Court. The bomb went off and killed around 24 people working at the building. The court was not in session at the time. After his arrest, he was tried in the IC under the Terrorism Clause. The Court ruled that Tours was guilty of Terrorism, concluding so after an investigation found particles relating to a bomb development site that Tours owned. The Court sentenced Tours to life in prison. He is current serving his Life-Sentence in Layfet.	Tours was the case that showed that developing international institutions needed security. As such, Layfet made efforts to increase security at all sites of international importance, including embassies. Defending these sites is now the primary duty of the Layfetian National Guard.
Lev Smirnov of Kentalis	International Community v. Smirnov	7 August 2020	Terrorism (Domestic)	Smirnov had committed a terrorist act in Kentalis which resulted in the death of 48 citizens. After his arrest, he was tried in the IC under the Terrorism Clause. The Court ruled that Smirnov was guilty of Domestic Terrorism, reasoning that the overwhelming evidence was indisputable. The Court sentenced Smirnov to life in prison. He is current serving his Life-Sentence in Kentalis.	Smirnov was the case that solidified the Court's power to hear domestic terrorism cases. As during trial Smirnov objected to the court's jurisdiction arguing that his actions were an internal Kentalis mater. The court held in the majority that defended its jurisdiction, holding that "parties to the charter intended all terrorism to be subject to this court's review" because "terrorism is such a grave act that concerns the international community as a whole, regardless of how localized it may be." Justice Weidmann dissented from the opinion arguing that domestic terrorism was a internal issue to each nation.
President Ander Starget of Neferheim	Member States v. Starget	13 October 2020	Torture and Violation of Human Rights	Starget had tortured 600 prisoners' of war and left them with inhumane conditions. These 600 prisoners' of war where members of the royalist faction of Neferheim during the civil war. When these facts reached the Court, they asked Starget to sumbit himself to the Court for a preliminary and investigation hearing. Starget did so and the Court order a joint Template:Country data Layfet-Kentalis-Bakyern team to investigate the POW camps. Before returning with their investigation report however, Starget returned to the Court with a plea deal. The Court allowed the plea deal and it was so ordered. The plea deal allowed Starget to continue as President and avoid incarceration, but made him release the 600 POWs and issue a formal apology as well as a formal memorandum expressing his guilt. In addition, he was required to pay reparations to the POWs as well as shut down all POW camps within the country, regardless of what prisoners they hold.	Starget is notable because of two different reasons. First, it was the first instance of the use of the plea deal in the international court. Secondly, it firmly established the court's power to order investigations. Though the Court previously could call for an investigation, it was up to independent parties to complete the investigation. In this case, the court assumed the power to order an investigation to commence because "the needs of many who suffer, especially in cases of torture, outweigh the interests of sovereignty when 'time is of the essence'".

Organization

The International Court is made up of four separate entities which include the court itself, Anterpol, International Pre-Trial and Post-Trail Services, and the International Bar Association. The IC requires that all member state contribute of 3.24 million ACU to the IC Budget which covers all its operating expenses for all its agencies. The Total budget comes out to 61.56 million ACU

Agency	Headquarters	Purpose	Leader
International Court (IC)	Cartwright, Template:Country data Layfet	Settle disputes between its member states and decide trials of international crimes in accordance with international law and give advisory opinions on other various areas of international law.	Chief Justice Santiago M. Romero of Layfet
The International Criminal Police Organization (ANTERPOL)	Aresov, Kentalis	Facilitates police cooperation, investigations, and crime control between member states with regards to international crimes and international law. It also has specialized agents that have the power to arrest with relation to international crimes and law.	Director Zarya Mikelaski of Kentalis
International Pre-Trial and Post-Trail Services (IPTPTS)	Wicht, Bakyern	Administers probation, bail, supervised release, collections, pre-trial confinement, as well as prepares cases and publications, and ensures compliance of decisions in the context of international law for the International Court. It also provides policies for the international Prison Complex (IPC) which is owned and administered by United Correctional Facility Corporation. The IPC will house international criminals upon its completion and is being constructed Near Hasfelden in western Bakyern	Director Oskar Muller of Bakyern
International Bar Association (IBA)	Cartwright, Template:Country data Layfet	To qualify lawyers and judges for service in international law.	Chairman Frasier K. Crane of Layfet

Composition

The IC is composed of seven judges elected to twenty-year terms. The judges were nominated by IC member states and then voted on by the member state's Ambassador to the IC. The Chief Justice is chosen as being the most senior member of the court and is currently Santiago M. Romero of Layfet, being the first judge on the bench and serving since 2015. Judges of the IC are entitled to the style of Their Honor. No two judges currently serving may be nationals of the same country nor can any judge be elected more than once. The working language of the court is english.

To be a eligible judge on the bench of the IC the judge needs to have served as judge in a member state, be among persons of high moral character, not hold any other political office at the time of their assent to the bench, be able to hold impartiality, have no conflicts of interest, understand and apply international law, be of at least 30 years of age, and cannot be convicted of any felony or high crime in a member state.

Judges may deliver joint judgments or give their own separate opinions. Decisions and advisory opinions are by majority. Judges may also deliver separate dissenting opinions.

The Current Seven Justices of the Court

Justice	Nation	Term
Santiago M. Romero	Template:Country data Layfet	2015-2035
Tomas Jimæs Fijerbargen	New Sebronia	2015-2035
Yorik J. Nikafsha	Kiyortza	2016-2036
Friedrich A. Weidmann	Bakyern	2020-2040
Lucía de la Armenta	Prybourne	2020-2040
Mateo García Lopez	Nexalan	2015-2035
Edmund Garner	Amrelia	2020-2040

Jurisdiction

The International Court and its various agencies have full jurisdiction in all its member states, and limited "invited" jurisdiction elsewhere.

Members

Nation	Year Joined
Kentalis	2015
Template:Country data Layfet	2015
New Sebronia	2015
Nexalan	2015
Xutananki	2015
Template:Plattinum	2015
Kiyortza	2016
Ereska	2017
File:Halsuntrian Flag.png Halsuntria	2019
Amrelia	2020
Bakyern	2020
Bretislavia	2020
Gassasinia	2020
Gadorien	2020
Iwonia	2020
Neferheim	2020
New Sarmathia	2020
Prybourne	2020
Sofrezia	2020
Speke	2020
Urusla	2020
Zhousheng	2020
Kistolia	2020
Agarntrop	2020

Observer States

Nation
Aziallis
Grandst Land

International Crimes

In addition the IC and its agencies have jurisdictional power over the following crimes:

Crime	Notes
Assassination	Applies only when a national of a member state murders or assassinates a national of a foreign state. That foreign national does not have to be a member of the IC. The IC does not hear matters relating to domestic assassination
Crimes Against Humanity	Note Needed
Genocide	Note Needed
Reckless Warfare	Applies only when a member state fails to declare war, or declares war with no valid Casus belli, when such member state is the "aggressor".
Reckless Employment of a Weapon of Mass Destruction	Applies only when an individual acting on their own accord, without authorization from their government, employs a weapon of mass destruction.
Terrorism (Domestic)	Note Needed. Procedurally Dead.
Terrorism (International)	Note Needed
Torture	Note Needed
Violations of Accords or Treaty Rights	Note Needed
Violations of Human Rights	This is the only crime which the Court consitutes as subjective and is charged when a majority of the justices deems it has been violated. It is usually accompanied by other crimes such as torture, genocide, and crimes against humanity.
Violations of the Ludahall Accords for International Conflict	See https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i0VORu9mCoO0mznahZQL5XUcTgRnEF7kG3iXURJe74U/edit . Applies only when the member state is a signatory to the Ludahall Accords and a member of the IC.