Legal Terms for Georgia v. Russia

Hi Delegates!  I hope your February has gotten off to a spectacular start.  By now, you've hopefully begun perusing materials related to Georgia v. Russia, and more likely than not have been encountering a thick web of legalese to sort through while you research.  Have no fear--below is a short list of a few of the most relevant legal terms to know to make your reading a bit easier and your understanding of the case a bit better.


  • Prima facie: based on the first impression.  This is generally a fact or circumstances that are accepted as established unless proven otherwise.  Example: "...the Court explains that it is for it to determine prima facie whether a dispute within the meaning of Article 22 of CERD exists." (Request for the indication of provisional measures, ICJ Summary of the Order, 4) 
  • Provisional measures: Provisional measures for protection are interim, or temporary orders issued by the ICJ that are roughly analogous to restraining orders.  Issued orders are said to be "indicated" (e.g. "the court indicated provisional measures") and are typically granted to groups that are believed to be at serious risk of "irreparable prejudice" and constitute general protection of their rights.  
  • Ratione loci: Literally "by reason of the place", this term refers to a court's ability to have jurisdiction on a location or territory basis.  The ICJ only has ratione loci over disputes that occur within the territory of ICJ signatories.  Example: The Russian Federation contends in its third objection that the alleged wrongful conduct took place outside its territory and therefore the Court lacks jurisdiction ratione loci to entertain the case." (Preliminary Objections Summary, 2).
  • Ratione temporis: Literally "by reason of time", this refers to a court's temporal or time-based jurisdiction.  This usually refers to a case being within (or not within) the statute of limitations for filing a claim.  Example: "Finally, according to the Russian Federation’s fourth objection, any jurisdiction the Court might have is limited ratione temporis to the events which occurred after the entry into force of CERD as between the Parties, that is 2 July 1999." (Preliminary Objections Summary, 3).
  • Inter alia: simply "among other things".  Usually, this is included in legal writing to indicate that what is being said is one example out of many or that other possibilities should not be excluded (e.g. "The Court observes that, in its Application, Georgia contends inter alia that...") 
If you come across any other legal terminology you're struggling with, feel free always to email us or drop a comment down below!

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