Article 38 of the statute of the International Court of Justice outlines the sources of law that the court will refer to when making decisions. These sources include international treaties, international customs, general principles of law recognized by civilized nations, and legal writings by learned jurists. The court may also consider the decisions of other international courts and the teachings of highly qualified publicists. Essentially, this article provides a framework for how the court will determine the applicable law in cases brought before it.
