Plausibility of Claims in Provisional Measures Adopted by ICJ

The International Court of Justice is empowered, under Article 41 of its Statute, to order provisional or interim measures of protection to preserve the respective rights of the party-states pending final judgment on the merits.  Through interpreting Article 41, the Court has developed in its case-law certain requirements for granting requested interim measures. The plausibility of claims is the sixth requirement recently added to the said requirements. The present research assesses the role of plausibility requirement in preservation of international human rights in light of evolution of this requirement in the court’s case law as well as the existing legal doctrine. The study indicates that an inconsistent approach to satisfaction of the plausibility requirement and prejudgment of the substance of the case could harm the transparency and predictability of the procedure governing provisional measures, and undermine such measures as one of the most effective legal mechanisms in preventing the breach of international law.