Short answers, pulled from the story.
The International Court of Justice succeeded the Permanent Court of International Justice which operated from 1922 until 1940. The first permanent institution for settling international disputes was the Permanent Court of Arbitration emerging from the Hague Peace Conference of 1899.
Fifteen judges serve nine-year terms on the International Court of Justice through elections by the UN General Assembly and Security Council. Five judges are chosen every three years to ensure continuity while no two judges may be nationals of the same country under Article 3 of the Statute.
Nicaragua brought charges against the United States in 1984 regarding covert military activities leading to a ruling that American actions violated international law. Ukraine filed a complaint against Russia in 2022 alleging violations of the Genocide Convention with the court ordering Russia to suspend military operations on March 16.
The International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion addressing state obligations concerning climate change on the 23rd of July 2025 following a General Assembly request. This represented the biggest case in the court's history with ninety-nine countries and more than twelve intergovernmental organizations heard during December 2024.
Enforcement fails because any resolution taken before the Security Council could be vetoed by permanent members if judgment opposes one of those five nations or their allies. The Security Council has never employed coercive action under Chapter VII of the Charter despite theoretical justification existing when international peace and security are at stake.