Ion GÂLEA*

Abstract: The jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice is non-compulsory. States have the possibility to submit cases by compromise or compromissory clauses, on the basis of article 36 (1) of the Statute of the Court1, by forum prorogatum, or by the means of the “optional clause”, as provided by article 36 (2) of the Statute. Following the public debate that ended in June 2013, Romania drew a proposal for a bill containing a draft declaration accepting the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ. Romania deposited the declaration on 23 June 2015, becoming the 72nd State to take such step.

Key-words: compulsory jurisdiction, declaration, reservations, optional clause

* Ion Gâlea is Senior Lecturer in Public International Law and International Organizations at the Faculty of Law of the University of Bucharest. Former director general for legal affairs (legal advisor) within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, he is currently the Romanian Ambassador to the Republic of Bulgaria. The opinions expressed in this article are solely the author’s and do not engage the institution he belongs to.