The International Court of Justice, in the Jurisdictional Immunities of the State: Germany v. Italy, had an opportunity to elaborate upon what qualified as an ‘interest of a legal nature’ to permit intervention in a proceeding before the Court. The argument put forth by the party seeking permission to intervene, i.e., Greece, was that a judgment favouring German claims may potentially affect its legal interests and rights. Greece was granted the permission to intervene. Yet, the Court omitted to answer what qualifies as a legal interest, and has left the participants in the international legal order in the dark regarding the preconditions to intervention before the Court.
