World Court rejects Marshall Islands' case against India

The Hague: The International Court of Justice on Wednesday ruled against a complaint brought by the Marshall Islands against India that it was not doing enough to halt the nuclear arms race.

The UN's top judicial agency, in a 9-7 ruling, said it has accepted India's arguments that the ICJ should not have jurisdiction in the case. 

The judge said the Marshall Islands had failed to show that it has any legal dispute with India fit for the court to adjudicate.

The Marshall Islands originally filed cases against the Permanent 5 countries -- US, Russia, Britain, France and China, and India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea for failing "to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion, negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament".

The case was then reduced to claims brought against Britain, India and Pakistan.

On Wednesday, the ICJ, known as the World Court, similarly rejected the claim brought by Marshall Islands against Britain and Pakistan.

The Marshall Islands was the site of atomic bomb tests by the United States after World War II and it was trying to force the nuclear powers to adhere to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons from 1970.