The first three volumes of the World Court Digest cover the periods 1986 to 1990, 1991 to 1995 and 1996 to 2000. We are happy to issue the fourth volume, covering the period from 2001 to 2005. We hope that this new Digest will be welcome to all those interested in the case law of the International Court of Justice. We are, of course, aware that nowadays the decisions of the Court are easily accessible through electronic data systems. However, there is no systematic analysis available in the form presented by the World Court Digest. Therefore, the Digest will be useful for those who wish to find the most recent position of the Court on a particular issue of international law. As the three previous volumes, also this fourth volume will be made available through electronic data on the homepage of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law. The first five years of the new century have been a busy period for the Court due to its continuing heavy caseload. The cases concerned a variety of legal issues reaching from the use of force and self-defence to questions of land and maritime boundary delimitation, immunity, consular matters, revision of judgments and the effect of provisional measures. The parties to the cases were States from all parts of the world demonstrating the general acceptance of the Court.

Substantive International Law - First Part.- The Foundations of International Law.- Sources of International Law.- International Law and Municipal Law.- Subjects of International Law.- The United Nations.- Use of Force and Related Problems.- Law of Treaties.- Violations of International Law and Responsibility of States.- Substantive International Law - Second Part.- Territory of States.- Law of the Sea.- International Watercourses.- Air and Space Law.- Self-Determination.- Nationality.- Minorities.- Law of Aliens.- Human Rights.- Law of Armed Conflicts / International Humanitarian Law.- Dispute Settlement.- Diplomacy and Consular Matters.- International Economic Law.- International Environmental Law.- Extradition.- International Criminal Law.- Dependent Territories.- The International Court of Justice.- Fundamental Principles.- The Jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.- The Procedure of the International Court of Justice.- Judgments of the International Court of Justice.- Advisory Opinions of the International Court of Justice.