Precedent in the World Court

Book excerpt: Although precedent in the International Court of Justice is not binding, the Court relies on its previous judgments as authoritative expressions of its views. In this book, Mohamed Shahabuddeen, a judge in the International Court of Justice, shows the extent to which the Court is guided by previous decisions, and how parties to cases themselves use the Court's decisions when framing and presenting their cases. He also traces the possibilities for future development of the system. Judge Shahabuddeen's analysis of the Court is a major contribution to this important subject.