"The Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ) was established under Article XIV of the Covenant of the League of Nations, which called on the League of Nations Council to formulate plans for an international court designed to contribute to the peaceful settlement of international disputes. By September 1921, a majority of the Member States had ratified the statute and the first election of judges took place. The PCIJ rendered a total of 27 advisory opinions and 32 judgments. World War II marked the end of the PCIJ, with the Court holding its last wartime session in the Hague in February 1940 before the German invasion of the Netherlands."--pub. desc.