Sub-Fonds - Legal Section

Identity area

Reference code

Title

Legal Section

Date(s)

  • 1919-1940 (Creation)

Level of description

Sub-Fonds

Extent and medium

556 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Administrative history

The Legal Section had two main objectives: on one hand to act as a judicial adviser to the Council, Commissions and Secretariat (see most of the Sections of the Secretariat for this activity) and on the other hand to record treaties and other international agreements.

This Section officially disappeared in 1940, but its work was carried on.

The Legal Section gave judicial advices to the Secretary General (since 1933, judicial advices were recorded in the Subject Index of the Registry). It helped to create international law by drawing up international conventions. A general codification of international law was established, particularly with regard to administrative and economic matters and the League of Nations attempted to promote the codification of certain important technical branches of international law.

The League of Nations' most important achievement in legal affairs has been the work of its judicial organ, the Permanent Court of International Justice, the highest judicial authority in the world, which sat at the Hague.

The objectives of the Permanent Court of International Justice were to prevent disputes from degenerating into wars. By establishing international precedents, it developped international law, and by administering justice between States, it helped to promote world stability.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Public

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • French
  • Danish
  • German

Script of material

    Language and script notes

    Physical characteristics and technical requirements

    Finding aids

    Finding aid available

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

    See also:

    • the other Sections of the Secretariat Fonds;

    • the Collections of Conventions, Ratifications and other Diplomatic Instruments.

    Related descriptions

    Notes area

    Note

    Protection period to: 1980-12-31

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Scope ID

    407

    Access points

    Subject access points

    Place access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Description control area

    Description identifier

    Institution identifier

    Rules and/or conventions used

    Status

    Completed

    Level of detail

    Dates of creation revision deletion

    Language(s)

      Script(s)

        Sources

        Archivist's note

        Protection period duration: 40

        Archivist's note

        Protection period note:

        Archivist's note

        Permission: No permission necessary.

        Archivist's note

        Physical usability: Without limits

        Archivist's note

        Term of protection: None

        Accession area