International Court of Justice situated at the Hague consists of...judges.

Analyze the question: It asks how many judges make up the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, based at The Hague in the Netherlands.

Explain the concept:

• The ICJ was established under the UN Charter in 1945 and began work in 1946. It replaced the Permanent Court of International Justice.
• Its Statute provides for 15 judges.
• The judges are elected for 9-year terms by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, voting separately. A candidate needs an absolute majority in both bodies.
• No two judges may be nationals of the same country.
• One-third of the court is re-elected every 3 years.
• A quorum of 9 judges is needed to hear a case.

Solution:

1. The ICJ is the UN's main judicial organ, seated at The Hague.
2. Its Statute fixes the bench at 15 judges.
3. Checking the options: 10, 12, 17 and 21 do not match the Statute. 15 is option C.

Tip: Remember "ICJ = 15 judges, 9-year terms, 9 for a quorum." The number 15 is also the number of Security Council members, which makes it easier to remember. Be careful not to confuse the ICJ's bench of 15 with the Security Council's 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members, though both total 15.