Jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in the 1984 Nicaragua-USA case (Essay Sample)

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Jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in the 1984 Nicaragua-USA case
A state may accept the ICJ court's jurisdiction in legal disputes as compulsory under article 36.2 of the ICJ statute. In the case of the Republic of Nicaragua ” versus “ the United States of America in 1984, the US felt obligated to assist El Salvador in defending itself against Nicaraguan attacks (Leigh).
The republic of Nicaragua felt they had the obligation to attack El Salvador for arming the contras with weapons which were used to destroy properties and kill people in Nicaragua.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) had jurisdiction over the case because both states believed their actions were legal. The US believed it had an obligation to assist El Salvador in defending itself against Nicaraguan attacks, while Nicaragua believed it had an obligation to protect the country from threats raised by the contras and the state of El Salvador, which was arming the contras (Reichler). The ICJ had jurisdiction since the case involved two states in conflict, and it is the only body tasked with resolving such conflicts. The ICJ's jurisdiction is limited because one of the parties may withdraw from the case and refuse to obey the court's decisions.
A declaration of consent may be modified by one of the parties in the case; for example, if one party believes that justice has not been served, it can withdraw from the c