The Settlement of Inter-State Disputes through ICJ Advisory Opinions

This book offers an in-depth analysis of the relationship between the principle of consensual dispute settlement in international law and the advisory opinion function of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In 2019, the ICJ issued its Chagos Advisory Opinion, finding that the Chagos Archipelago belongs to Mauritius and that the United Kingdom’s administration of the archipelago is contrary to international law. In the proceedings, the United Kingdom and Judge Donoghue invoked the Eastern Karelia doctrine. The 1923 doctrine states: The Court does not issue an advisory opinion if, by doing so, it would undermine the basic rule that states may submit disputes to judicial settlement only with their consent.