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World Court Digest



II. Substantive International Law - Second Part
8. LAW OF ALIENS
8.1.General Questions

¤ Elettronica Sicula S.p.A. (ELSI)
Judgment of 20 July 1989
I.C.J. Reports 1989, p. 15

[p. 65] In any event, considering that it is not established that any deterioration in the plant and machinery was due to the presence of the workers, and that the authorities were able not merely to protect the plant but even in some measure to continue production, the protection provided by the authorities could not be regarded as falling below "the full protection and security required by international law"; or indeed as less than the national or third-State standards. The mere fact that the occupation was referred to by the Court of Appeal of Palermo as unlawful does not, in the Chamber's view, necessarily mean that the protection afforded fell short of the national standard to which the FCN Treaty refers. The essential question is whether the local law, either in its terms or its application, has treated United States nationals less well than Italian nationals. This, in the opinion of the Chamber, has not been shown.

[pp. 66-67] The primary standard laid down by Article V is "the full protection and security required by international law", in short the "protection and security" must conform to the minimum international standard. As noted above, this is supplemented by the criteria of national treatment and most-favoured-nation treatment. The Chamber is here called upon to apply the provisions of a treaty which sets standards in addition to the reference to general international law which may go further in protecting nationals of the High Contracting Parties than general international law requires; but the United States has not - save in one respect - suggested that these requirements do in this respect set higher standards than the international standard. It must be doubted whether in all the circumstances, the delay in the Prefect's ruling in this case can be regarded as falling below that standard. Certainly, the Applicant's use of so serious a charge as to call it a "denial of procedural justice" might be thought exaggerated.