Pritzker Legal Research Center: International Legal Research Guide: Judicial Decisions

Overview

The decisions of international courts and tribunals, as well as those of domestic courts, may play a subsidiary role in helping to determine rules of international law.

International Courts and Tribunals

Case law from international courts and tribunals can frequently be found on their websites. The following provides links to a selective list of international courts and tribunals. Various regional courts have emerged to adjudicate human rights disputes.

International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), established in 1945, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court (ICC), founded by the Rome Statute that entered into force in 2002, investigates and tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community, including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, founded in 1996, was established by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as an independent judicial body to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the Convention.
Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)
The CJEU, established in 1952, ensures that every EU country abides by and interprets and applies EU law consistently.
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights, established initially in 1959 and permanently in 1998, hears individual and state applications alleging violations of the civil and political rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights.
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights, established in 1979, is a judicial institution that makes up the human rights protection system of the Organization of American States along with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Additional Resources

The following resources collect or compile materials from various international courts and tribunals.

Oxford Reports on International Law (ORIL)
Provides access to case reports from international courts and tribunals as well as domestic courts. Each case report includes headnotes, summary of case facts and holdings, full-text of the decision, analytical commentary, and a list of cases and instruments cited. Subscription includes access to the following modules: International Law in Domestic Courts, International Courts of General Jurisdiction, International Human Rights Law, International Criminal Law, International Investment Claims, International Trade Law Decisions, and International Law in EU Courts.
International Law Reports [JustisOne]
Provides access to selected decisions from international courts and arbitrators as well as selected judgments of national courts in English. International courts and tribunals include the International Court of Justice, arbitration tribunals, United Nations Human Rights Committee, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, European Court of Human Rights, European Court of Justice, and Court of Justice of the European Union and General Court. Collection also includes internationally significant national cases from countries in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and the Asia Pacific region.
WorldLII: International Courts & Tribunals
Free portal to case law from various international courts and tribunals.