The International Court of Justice and other international tribunals have a much more prominent role in settling international disputes than they did 50 years ago. It follows that the measures for the protection of the independence of the institutions and their members are even more important. Those protections include the qualifications judges are to have, the methods of their election and selection, their commitment to their responsibilities, and their methods of work. Also important are the reactions to their decisions by states, particularly the parties, the wider international community and the contribution of the rulings of the institutions to the clarification of the law and its development.
