THE JUDICIAL TRIBUNAL
Dr. Moustafa Abdul Hayy Al-Sayed President
HE Shaikh Abdul Rahman bin Jaber Al KhalifaVice-President
Mr. Jawad Omar Al-SakkaMember
Dr. Nabil Abdullah El-ArabyMember
Mr. Khalifa Daalouj Al-KobaissiMember
The Judicial Board
The Judicial Board is the fourth OAPEC organ created under the Agreement. It was established by a special Protocol that was signed in Kuwait on May 9, 1978. The Protocol was attached to the Organization's Agreement and came into effect on April 20, 1980. Judges of the Board (Tribunal) were first elected on May 6,1981.
The protocol stipulated that the Tribunal shall consist of an uneven number of judges of Arab citizenship, who shall not be less than seven and not more than eleven.
1. The Tribunal has jurisdiction to hear the following disputes:
- Disputes relating to the interpretation and application of the Agreement and settlement of the liabilities arising therefrom.
- Disputes arising between two or more member countries concerning petroleum operations, so long as they do not infringe on the sovereignty of any of the countries concerned.
- Disputes which, The Ministerial Council decides, are within the competence of the Tribunal.
2. Upon consent of the disputing parties, the Tribunal may rule on the following:
- Disputes arising between a member country and a petroleum company operating in its territory.
- Disputes arising between one member country and the national oil company of another member.
- Disputes arising between two or more member countries, apart from the provision of (1) above.
The Judicial Board (Tribunal) also has an advisory jurisdiction enabling it to give its opinion on issues referred to it by the Ministerial Council. Its judgments are considered final and binding on the parties of the dispute and shall be enforceable in territories of member countries.