Article 26

This study offers a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of of the procedural mechanism consisting in the possibility of the International Court of Justice to hear a case in the composition of a chamber. Although the study's main focus is on the two types of chambers provided for in Article 26 of the Statute of the Court - chambers dealing with particular categories of cases and ad hoc chambers - it addresses more generally the question of the role of chambers in the activity of the main judicial organ of the Nations United. This is one of the most complete studies on the activities of these chambers, covering in a systematic way aspects such as the conditions for their establishment, their competence and the rules governing their activity. The examination of these aspects is complemented by a historical analysis of the development of their discipline over the time, and a critical assessment of the reasons that have so far determined the success of certain types of rooms and the failure of others.