| Lotus (1927) |
Residual freedom of States; prohibition must be proved; custom needs opinio juris |
| Chorzów Factory (1928) |
Reparation for breach is a principle of international law |
| Island of Palmas (1928) |
Territorial sovereignty; effective occupation; intertemporal law |
| Trail Smelter (1941) |
No State may use its territory to harm another (transboundary pollution) |
| Corfu Channel (1949) |
Every State has an obligation not to allow its territory to be used contrary to rights of others; innocent passage in straits; first ICJ case |
| Reparation for Injuries (1949) |
UN has international legal personality |
| Asylum (1950) |
Diplomatic asylum; regional custom; unilateral qualification of offence |
| Reservations to Genocide Convention (1951) |
Compatibility test for reservations |
| Anglo-Norwegian Fisheries (1951) |
Straight baselines; persistent objector |
| Nottebohm (1955) |
Genuine link for nationality in diplomatic protection |
| Right of Passage (1960) |
Bilateral local custom (India–Portugal) |
| North Sea Continental Shelf (1969) |
Elements of custom; norm-creating provisions; equitable principles |
| Barcelona Traction (1970) |
Erga omnes obligations; diplomatic protection of corporations |
| Namibia (1971) |
South Africa’s presence illegal; abstention is not a veto; Art 25 binding decisions |
| Nuclear Tests (1974) |
Binding unilateral declarations |
| Western Sahara (1975) |
Terra nullius not applicable; self-determination |
| Tehran Hostages (1980) |
Diplomatic inviolability; self-contained regime |
| Nicaragua (1986) |
Force, intervention, self-defence; custom vs treaty; Art 3 common |
| Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros (1997) |
Necessity, fundamental change of circumstances, proportionality of countermeasures |
| Nuclear Weapons AO (1996) |
IHL applies; no specific prohibition; no conclusion in extreme self-defence |
| LaGrand (2001) |
Provisional measures binding; consular rights (Art 36 VCCR) |
| Arrest Warrant (2002) |
Personal immunity of Foreign Minister |
| Wall AO (2004) |
Applicability of IHL/HR law in occupied territories; erga omnes obligations |
| Bosnia Genocide (2007) |
State responsibility for genocide; duty to prevent; effective control |
| Kosovo AO (2010) |
Declaration of independence not prohibited by international law |
| Jurisdictional Immunities (2012) |
State immunity for acta jure imperii |
| Belgium v Senegal (2012) |
Aut dedere aut judicare under CAT |
| Chagos AO (2019) |
Decolonisation of Mauritius incomplete; UK should end administration |
| Jadhav (2019) |
Consular access, Art 36 VCCR |