There were many conferences on the subject, from which the ICJ was born. The court was officially established in 1946, and consisted mostly of former PCIJ Judges.
The function of the court is to pass judgement on disputes between states. The ICJ gains its legitimacy from Article 92 of the UN charter, which lets it operate, in accordance with annexed Statute, which is based upon the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice and forms an integral part of the present Charter. Article 93 states that all members of the UN are automatically members of the Statute. It also states that states that are not part of the UN may become part of the Statute, if cleared by the UN general assembly. The court is made up of 15 judges, no two of which may be from the same state. The judges are elected by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, and serve nine year terms, which are eligible for reelection. The court is also an autonomous body, which elects its president and vice- president, appoints its registrar, and provides for the appointment of staff. .
The particapation of states in the ICJ is volentary, and most states agree to accept the ICJ s ruling before the trial. Cases are brought before the court either by the notification to it of a special agreement concluded by the parties or by a written appeal to the registrar. The court proceedings are in two parts, written and oral. The Court may also hear witnesses and appoint commissions of experts to make investigations and reports when necessary. The court diliberates in private, the judgements are read in an open court. The court s judgments are decided by majority vote. In the case of a tie, the presedent makes the deciding vote. Any judge may file a separate opinion if he does not agree in whole or part with the judgement. The decision of the court is final and without appeal. The ICJ has no real enforcement powers, although Article 94 of the Charter urges that members of the UN "to comply with the decision of the .