International tribunal decisions can generally be located in one of a few databases of decisions, through sources compiling the decisions of a particular tribunal, or at the tribunal's website. Refer to Bluebook Rule 21.5 on international law cases to learn more about citation formats and preferred sources.
Searching across tribunals
Databases for searching across the decisions of multiple tribunals:
Oxford Reports on International Law
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Over 5,500 case reports, including the full text of each decision, headnotes, as well as analytical commentary and English translations of a number of key non-English decisions. Includes:
- Oxford Reports on International Law in EU Courts
- Oxford Reports on International Trade Law Decisions
- Oxford Reports on International Law in Domestic Courts
- Oxford Reports on International Criminal Law
- Oxford Reports on International Human Rights Law
- Oxford Reports on International Investment Claims
- Oxford Reports on International Courts of General Jurisdiction
Cambridge Law Reports - International Law Reports - expansive collection of international and relevant national court decisions since 1919, all in English
- ICSID (International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes) Reports - arbitral awards and decisions on international investment
WorldLII: International Courts & Tribunals CollectionSearch for decisions across many major international tribunals. Updated periodically, so may not contain recent decisions. The World Legal Information Institute (WorldLII), is a free, independent, and non-profit global legal research database.
WorldCourtsSearch across over 50,000 decisions of 52 international tribunals and hundreds of arbitral awards. Updated periodically, so may not contain recent decisions.
Decisions from selected tribunals
Individual tribunal decisions may be located at the tribunal's website or in specialized databases. Selected resources and tribunals are covered below. Use your preferred search engine to locate tribunal websites and specialized databases not listed.
International Court of Justice
International Court of JusticeThe ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the UN. Its website includes case information, press releases, and various other documents and publications.
International Court of Justice Judgments
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Full-text, English-language judgments of the ICJ for "contentious cases"; i.e. cases between the Member States of the UN. Coverage: 1948 (The Corfu Channel Island cases) - current. Includes full-text judgments made available by permission of the Court. For advisory opinions, see the Lexis database International Court of Justice Advisory Opinions. For pleadings and orders of pending cases filed in 2004 forward, see International Court of Justice Filings.
International Court of Justice Decisions
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Coverage begins with 1947. Source of this material is the ICJ's publication Report of Judgments, Advisory Opinions and Orders, last published in 2000. Selected documents beginning with 2001, as released and made available by the International Court of Justice prior to publication of the Report, are also included.
European Union Courts
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Decisions from the European Court of Human Rights, Court of Justice of the EU, General Court of the EU, European Patent Office Boards of Appeal, and more.
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Coverage begins with 1954 for the Court of Justice of the European Communities; 1989 for the Court of First Instance of the European Communities (General Court); 2006 for the Civil Service Tribunal; and 1994 for the EFTA Court.
Iran, Rwanda, Yugoslavia Tribunals
Permanent Court of Arbitration
World Trade Organization
TradeLawGuide Includes summaries and commentaries on case law. Citators point to case law citing WTO and pre-WTO provisions, related cases, and minutes of the Dispute Settlement Body. Covers
- WTO legal agreements and instruments,
- negotiating history and precursor agreements,
- related WTO and pre-WTO case law, and
- dispute documents and other related content.
WorldTradeLaw.net Includes free resource library of current trade news and resources, plus the DSC Service (summary and analysis of all WTO reports and arbitrations); a current keyword index; a database of dispute settlement tables and statistics; and a search tool for WTO cases, legal texts, and other documents.
Restricted to UCI Law community members. Law VPN required.
Cases in Foreign Courts
Consult the Foreign Law Research guide, in particular the "Cases" tab, to locate cases published in foreign, as opposed to international, courts. Key decisions on international law issues in foreign courts may also be available in Oxford Reports on International Law in Domestic Courts and/or International Law Reports (see above).
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