Today is Saturday, April 18th, 2020.

On this day in 1946, the International Court of Justice

held its inaugural sitting at the Peace Palace in the Netherlands.

President Judge Jose Gustavo Guerrero was sworn in as the World Court's new leader amongst hundreds of witnesses.

This sparked the dawn of a new era,

one where international criminal justice

might finally help us achieve world peace.

Welcome to today in true crime, a parcast original.

Today we're covering the inauguration of the International Court of Justice,

the head judicial organization for the United Nations.

The ICJ became the New World Court after the permanent

court of International Justice and the League of Nations were dissolved in 1946. Let's go back to the Netherlands on April 18th,

1946. It was a beautiful spring day filled with hope as the tulips began to bloom in the Hague.

Some of the world's most prominent heads of justice passed through iron gates beyond the lush

green lawn to enter the doors of the Peace Palace.

They each took their seats in the grand courtroom.

Everyone who sat in that room knew they were about to witness an iconic piece of world history.

As of today, the permanent court of international justice was

permanent no longer. It was dissolved along with the League of Nations. The League

which was formed in 1920 had weakened during World War II.

Some even felt it had put its own interests ahead of the interests of the people.

Now that the war was over, it was time for a new world government to step in, one that people

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