paragraph 317 in volume 3, chapter 21, The Oral Proceedings
The oral proceedings, frequently called ‘hearings’, are the first direct confrontation of the parties before the Court and in open court, following the series of exchanges of written pleadings filed by each party working on its own. Public hearings are an essential phase in the judicial process of the International Court of Justice and this distinguishes the judicial settlement of international disputes from arbitration as a method for the settlement of international disputes.
The Informal Inter-Allie…