International Court of Justice (ICJ)

Welcome to the website of the BMICJ

On this platform you will be able to find all documents relevant to this year’s BMICJ, such as the Brief, the member list, the Statute of the ICJ, the preliminary agenda of the BMICJ, and previous orders of the court. Additionally, non-BMICJ-members can find out more about the functioning of the BMICJ, information that may aid them during the conference.

Four years ago, the Berlin Model International Court of Justice (BMICJ) was founded. The BMICJ is based on the International Court of Justice, the essential judicial organ of the United Nations. It decides, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by states. In addition, certain international organs and agencies are entitled to call upon it for advisory opinions. It is composed of 13 independent judges, elected regardless of their nationality; two presidents, who also act as judges; and a registrar, who is responsible for the administrative issues. Additionally, two opposing advocate teams (applicant and defendant), each consisting of two counsels, present their case to the court. This year’s case will be Maritime Delimitation between Nicaragua and Honduras in the Caribbean Sea (Nicaragua v. Honduras).

What sets the BMICJ apart from other fora is that it features a small group of interested and motivated students, resulting in highly intense debates. It is organized and run only by students, a fact that presents a new and unusual challenge. This offers the participants a unique learning experience as well as an unforgettably fun conference.