Changing Role of Friends of the Court in the International Courts and Tribunals

Abstract

The paper examines the practice and procedures of a range of international courts and tribunals with regard to the submission of amicus curiae briefs by non-governmental actors. The focus is on the recent practice in the ICJ, WTO dispute settlement system and in the regional human rights bodies, as well as in international criminal tribunals, with a view to identifying whether any common rules or approaches exist. The study sets out the current rules regarding the receipt of amicus curiae briefs and considers the procedural rules that apply to the submission of such briefs. The paper focuses on the ways international court and tribunals are able to use the information and arguments submitted by amicus curiae briefs.