1. for each case or question, all documents pertaining to it and all action taken with regard to it in chronological order; all such documents shall bear the same file number and shall be numbered consecutively within the file; 2. all decisions of the Court in chronological order, with references to the respective files; 3. all advisory opinions given by the Court in chronological order, with references to the respective files; 4. all notifications and similar communications sent out by the Court, with references to the respective files. Indexes kept in the archives shall comprise: 1. a card index of names with necessary references; 2. a card index of subject matter with like references. ARTICLE 24 During hours to be fixed by the President the Registrar shall receive any documents and reply to any enquiries, subject to the provisions of Article 38 of the present Rules and to the observance of professional secrecy. ARTICLE 25 The Registrar shall be the channel for all communications to and from the Court. The Registrar shall ensure that the date of despatch and receipt of all communications and notifications may readily be verified. Communications and notifications sent by post shall be registered. Communications addressed to the official representatives or to the agents of the parties shall be considered as having been addressed to the parties themselves. The date of receipt shall be noted on all documents received by the Registrar, and a receipt bearing this date and the number under which the document has been registered shall be given to the sender, if a request to that effect be made. ARTICLE 26 The Registrar shall be responsible for the archives, the accounts and all administrative work. He shall have the custody of the seals and stamps of the Court. He shall himself be present at all meetings of the full Court and either he, or a person appointed to represent him with the approval of the Court, shall be present at all sittings of the various Chambers; he shall be responsible for drawing up the minutes of the meetings. He shall further undertake all duties which may be laid upon him by the present Rules. The duties of the Registry shall be set forth in detail in a list of instructions to be submitted by the Registrar to the President for his approval. HEADING 2.-WORKING OF THE COURT ARTICLE 27 In the year following a new election of the whole Court the ordinary annual session shall commence on the fifteenth of January. If the day fixed for the opening of a session is regarded as a holiday at the place where the Court is sitting, the session shall be opened on the working day following. ARTICLE 28 The list of cases shall be prepared and kept up to date by the Registrar under the responsibility of the President. The list for each session shall contain all questions submitted to the Court for an advisory opinion and all cases in regard to which the written proceedings are concluded, in the order in which the documents submitting each question or case have been received by the Registrar. If in the course of a session, a question is submitted to the Court or the written proceedings in regard to any case are concluded, the Court shall decide whether such question or case shall be added to the list for that session. The Registrar shall prepare and keep up to date extracts from the above list showing the cases to be dealt with by the respective Chambers. The Registrar shall also prepare and keep a list of cases for revision. ARTICLE 29 During the sessions the dates and hours of sittings shall be fixed by the President. ARTICLE 30 If at any sitting of the full Court it is impossible to obtain the prescribed quorum, the Court shall adjourn until the quorum is obtained. ARTICLE 31 The Court shall sit in private to deliberate upon the decision of any case or on the reply to any question submitted to it. During the deliberation referred to in the preceding paragraph, only persons authorized to take part in the deliberation and the Registrar shall be present. No other person shall be admitted except by virtue of a special decision taken by the Court, having regard to exceptional circumstances. Every member of the Court who is present at the deliberation shall state his opinion together with the reasons on which it is based. The decision of the Court shall be based upon the conclusions adopted after final discussion by a majority of the members. Any member of the Court may request that a question which is to be voted upon shall be drawn up in precise terms in both the official languages and distributed to the Court. A request to this effect shall be complied with. CHAPTER II. PROCEDURE HEADING 1.-CONTENTIOUS PROCEDURE SECTION A. GENERAL PROVISIONS ARTICLE 32 The rules contained under this heading shall in no way preclude the adoption by the Court of such other rules as may be jointly proposed by the parties concerned, due regard being paid to the particular circumstances of each case. ARTICLE 33 The Court shall fix time limits in each case by assigning a definite date for the completion of the various acts of procedure, having regard as far as possible to any agreement between the parties. The Court may extend time limits which it has fixed. It may likewise decide in certain circumstances that any proceeding taken after the expiration of a time limit shall be considered as valid. If the Court is not sitting the powers conferred upon it by this article shall be exercised by the President, subject to any subsequent decision of the Court. ARTICLE 34 All documents of the written proceedings submitted to the Court shall be accompanied by not less than thirty printed copies certified correct. The President may order additional copies to be supplied. SECTION B. PROCEDURE BEFORE THE COURT AND BEFORE THE SPECIAL CHAMBERS (ARTICLES 26 AND 27 OF THE STATUTE) I. Institution of Proceedings ARTICLE 35 When a case is brought before the Court by means of a special agreement, the latter, or the document notifying the Court of the agreement, shall mention the addresses selected at the seat of the Court to which notices and communications intended for the respective parties are to be sent. In all other cases in which the Court has jurisdiction, the application shall include, in addition to an indication of the subject of the dispute and the names of the parties concerned, a succinct statement of facts, an indication of the claim and the address selected at the seat of the Court to which notices and communications are to be sent. Should proceedings be instituted by means of an application, the first document sent in reply thereto shall mention the address selected at the seat of the Court to which subsequent notices and communications in regard to the case are to be sent. Should the notice of a special agreement, or the application, contain a request that the case be referred to one of the special Chambers mentioned in Articles 26 or 27 of the Statute, such request shall be complied with, provided that the parties are in agreement. Similarly, a request to the effect that technical assessors be attached to the Court, in accordance with Article 27 of the Statute, or that the case be referred to the Chamber for summary procedure shall also be granted; compliance with the latter request is, however, subject to the condition that the case does not refer to any of the questions indicated in Articles 26 and 27 of the Statute. ARTICLE 36 The Registrar shall forthwith communicate to all members of the Court special agreements or applications which have been notified to him. II. Written Proceedings Should the parties agree that the proceedings shall be conducted in French or in English, the documents constituting the written procedure shall be submitted only in the language adopted by the parties. In the absence of an agreement with regard to the language to be employed, documents shall be submitted in French or in English. Should the use of a language other than French or English be authorized, a translation into French or into English shall be attached to the original of each document submitted. The Registrar shall not be bound to make translations of documents submitted in accordance with the above rules. In the case of voluminous documents the Court, or the President if the Court is not sitting, may, at the request of the party concerned, sanction the submission of translations of portions of documents only. ARTICLE 38 The Court, or the President, if the Court is not sitting, may, after hearing the parties, order the Registrar to hold the cases and counter-cases of each suit at the disposal of the Government of any State which is entitled to appear before the Court. ARTICLE 39 In cases in which proceedings have been instituted by means of a special agreement, the following documents may be presented in the order stated below, provided that no agreement to the contrary has been concluded between the parties: a case, submitted by each party within the same limit of time; a counter-case, submitted by each party within the same limit of time; a reply, submitted by each party within the same limit of time. When proceedings are instituted by means of an application, failing any agreement to the contrary between the parties, the documents shall be presented in the order stated below: 1. a statement of the facts on which the claim is based; 2. a statement of law; 3. a statement of conclusions; 4. a list of the documents in support; these documents shall be attached to the case. Counter-cases shall contain: 1. the affirmation or contestation of the facts stated in the case; 3. a statement of law; 4. conclusions based on the facts stated; these conclusions may include counter-claims, in so far as the latter come within the jurisdiction of the Court; 5. a list of the documents in support; these documents shall be attached to the counter-case. ARTICLE 41 Upon the termination of the written proceedings the President shall fix a date for the commencement of the oral proceedings. ARTICLE 42 The Registrar shall forward to each of the members of the Court, a copy of all documents in the case as he receives them. III. Oral Proceedings In the case of a public sitting, the Registrar shall publish in the press all necessary information as to the date and hour fixed. ARTICLE 44 The Registrar shall arrange for the interpretation from French into English and from English into French of all statements, questions and answers which the Court may direct to be so interpreted. Whenever a language other than French or English is employed, either |