‘Liberal Judges On World Court'

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31209, 5 November 1966, Page 15

‘Liberal Judges On World Court'

(N .Z.P. A .-Reuter—Copyngnt) NEW YORK, November 4. The World Court, which threw out the South-west Africa case last July, has emerged with a more liberal tinge from two days of ballotting to replace five of the 15 judges.

All five chosen, regarded as liberal-minded judges, will serve for nine years from next February. One-third of the Court Is renewed every three years. Controversy over the Court’s recent ruling that it could not judge a challenge to South Africa’s mandate over South-west Africa, and the possibility that the dis-

pute between Britain and Spain over Gibraltar might come before the Court, brought intensive lobbying during the ballotting by the General Assembly and Security Council. None of the judges associated with the Southwest Africa ruling sought re-elec-tion.

Failure to secure election by Sir Kenneth Bailey, Australia's nominee to succeed Sir Percy Spender, current president of the Court, was widely attributed to African anger at Sir Percy Spender's role in the controversial decision. Mr Fouad Ammoun of Lebanon, who was not associated with the South-west Africa ruling, was the only retiring judge to be re-elected.