to resolve cases not brought to court and thus cannot be  responsible for legal skirmishes not brought to its doorstep.          Despite of its shortcomings and the many failures it has  experienced, the ICJ has had a positive effect on the development of International Law and the propagation of the principals of  sovereignty, non-conquest, human rights and the rights of existence and self-defence of a state. In addition the ICJ has helped resolve  disputes between states with some degree of success, and given the  numerous difficulties it faces, its achievements are respectable and  its usefulness is undeniable. Most importantly, the ICJ, at the very  least, provides an additional option for states to settle their  disputes peacefully through third party intervention, and this has  reduced the threat of open war....