World Court
Preserved but no longer current.
The Permanent Court of International Justice, set up at The Hague under the Covenant of the League of Nations in September, 1921, and confirmed by the Charter of the United Nations in November, 1946. It has 15 judges elected by the Powers and it considers and passes judgment (from which appeal may be made to the Security Council) on all international disputes which may involve recourse to arms.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “World Court” mean?
The Permanent Court of International Justice, set up at The Hague under the Covenant of the League of Nations in September, 1921, and confirmed by the Charter of the United Nations in November, 1946. It has 15 judges elected by the Powers and it considers and passes judgment (from which appeal may be made to the Security Council) on all international disputes which may involve recourse to arms.
Is “World Court” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.