''France v United Kingdom'' [1953
ICJ 3(also called the Minquiers and Ecrehos Case) was an International Court of Justice case concerning sovereignty over seas.
Facts
The United Kingdom and France requested for the ICJ to determine the country that held sovereignty over the islets and rocks in the
Minquiers
The Minquiers (''Les Minquiers''; in Jèrriais: ''Les Mîntchièrs'' ; known as "the Minkies" in local English) are a group of islands and rocks, about south of Jersey. They form part of the Bailiwick of Jersey.
They are administratively part of ...
and
Ecrehos groups. France claimed sovereignty because it fished in the waters and it had historic sovereignty over the area from the 11th century's
Duchy of Normandy
The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans.
From 1066 until 1204, as a result of the Norman c ...
. The United Kingdom claimed that
Jersey
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...
had historically exercised legal and administrative jurisdiction over them.
Judgment
Initially requested on 5 December 1951, the ICJ decided on 17 November 1953 that sovereignty over the islands belonged to the United Kingdom.
Minquiers and Ecrehos (France/United Kingdom) – Summary of the Summary of the Judgment of 17 November 1953
International Court of Justice
See also
*
List of International Court of Justice cases
The list of International Court of Justice cases includes contentious cases and advisory opinions brought to the International Court of Justice since its creation in 1946. Forming a key part of international law, 181 cases have been entered onto ...
References
International Court of Justice records of this case
Further reading
*
External links
*William B. Heflin
Diayou/Senkaku Islands Dispute: Japan and China, Oceans Apart Asian-Pacific Law & Policy Journal, 2000 (including analysis of this case)
International Court of Justice cases
History of Jersey
Disputed islands
1953 in case law
1953 in France
1953 in the United Kingdom
France–United Kingdom relations
1953 in international relations
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