On 5th May, 2025, the International Court of Justice [‘ICJ’] delivered its Order in Sudan v. United Arab Emirates, in the application filed on March 5, 2025 instituting proceedings against the UAE concerning alleged violations of the Genocide Convention [Convention], concerning the Masalit group in Sudan. By a vote of 14-2, the Court rejected Sudan’s request for provisional measures against the UAE. and, by a narrower margin of 9-7, the Court ordered the case removed entirely from its General List, determining that it ‘manifestly lacks jurisdiction’ [‘MLoJ’] to entertain Sudan’s application. [See Quazi Foysal] In this contribution, the author first decodes the ICJ Order and judges’ opinion. Secondly, by placing the judicial opinions in conversation with one another, he examines the broader implications of the Court’s approach to jurisdictional questions in cases concerning allegations of genocide and evaluates whether the Court missed an opportunity to establish clearer guidelines regarding early dismissal of cases from its General List.
Jurisdiction
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