Model United Nations Class Hosts Visit From International Court Judge

A 50-minute question and answer session between Mira Costa Model United Nations students and International Court of Justice Judge Joan Donoghue brought accolades from the judge. 

"These young people were great and asked questions like law school students," said Judge Donoghue, who visited the 7 a.m. class on Wednesday, aided by Betsy Anderson of the American Society of International Relations.

"Our guests told us they hope to do this with more school groups that have a serious international background," said MUN instructors Bob Timberlake and Wayne Knutson. Timberlake noted that there are only 15 ICJ judges in the world.

The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its "seat of the Court" is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands), and it is the only main UN organ (there are five others) that is not located in New York. 

"The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies," according to its website.

Each judge is elected by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council to serve a term of nine years. Judge Donoghue, an American, was elected to the post in 2010.