Members of the Court

Members of the Court are potential arbitrators appointed by Contracting Parties. Each Contracting Party state is entitled to nominate up to four persons of “known competency in questions of international law, of the highest moral reputation and disposed to accept the duties of arbitrators” as “Members of the Court.” Members of the Court are appointed for a term of six years, and their appointments can be renewed.

In addition to forming a panel of potential arbitrators, the Members of the Court from each Contracting Party constitute a “national group,” which is entitled to nominate candidates for the election to the International Court of Justice (article 4(1) of the Statute of the International Court of Justice). The Members of the Court (along with the judges of the ICJ) are among a handful of groups entitled to nominate candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Parties to a dispute may, but are not obliged to, select arbitrators from the list of the Members of the Court.