Zoom In

Science novit curia? Damage evaluation methods and the role of experts in the Costa Rica v Nicaragua case

1. Introduction In the Judgment concerning the quantification of damages owed by Nicaragua to Costa Rica, issued on 2 February 2018 (‘the 2018 Judgment’),[1] the International Court of Justice (‘the Court’) for the first time awarded compensation for damages to the environment. The facts of the case have been aptly recounted in Kindji and Faure’s...

Assessing reparation of environmental damage by the ICJ: A lost opportunity?

1. Introduction The recent judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) brings to the fore the issues pertaining to the prevention and compensation of transboundary environmental harm. This case is of particular importance for two essential reasons. First, it is related to a freshwater wetland protected under the Ramsar Convention.[1] Wetlands indeed constitute a...