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Story: International law

New Zealand at the International Court of Justice, 1973

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New Zealand at the International Court of Justice, 1973

The New Zealand legal representatives who brought the case against France's atmospheric nuclear tests to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, in 1973, were (left to right) Solicitor General R. C. Savage, Attorney General Martyn Finlay and R . Q. Quentin-Baxter. Australia and New Zealand both argued cases against the French tests. While the ICJ gave a provisional ruling in support of New Zealand and Australia, no final ruling was given as the French ceased atmospheric tests in 1974.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: AAEG W2972 Box 1 41

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How to cite this page

K. J. Keith, International law – New Zealand and international law: a brief history, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/38148/new-zealand-at-the-international-court-of-justice-1973 (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by K. J. Keith, published 5 June 2012.