International Justice
An international court empowered to adjudicate disputes between nations is essential for lasting peace without war.
Bahá'u'lláh called for an international tribunal that would settle disputes between nations by law rather than war. This court would have binding authority and would be backed by collective enforcement. The existence of such a body would change the calculus of interstate relations, making war both unnecessary and irrational.
If the learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of fellowship and love, every understanding heart would apprehend the meaning of true liberty.
The Bahá'í international court proposal anticipates the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court established in the 20th century.
Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh
Written about in
- What the Bahá'í Faith says about justice
An international court able to settle disputes between nations is held to be necessary if peace is to hold without war. It is a claim about institutions: justice needs somewhere to be administered.