The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has fixed time-limits for the filing of the initial pleadings in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar).

By an Order dated 23 Jan 2020, the Court fixed 23 Jul 2020 and 25 Jan 2021 as the respective time-limits for the filing of a Memorial by the Republic of The Gambia and a  Counter-Memorial by the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

The top UN court in The Hague ordered Myanmar to take urgent measures to protect the Rohingya from genocide, a ruling cheered by refugees as their first major legal victory since being forced from their homes to Bangladesh.

In the unanimous verdict, it also asked Myanmar to submit a report back within four months confirming measures taken to comply with the decision, and then continue reporting every six months.

Myanmar shrugged off the orders saying it has already put in place measures to protect Rohingya Muslims.

Bangladesh currently extends makeshift refuge over 1.1 million forcefully displaced Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar while most of them arrived since Myanmar launched a military crackdown on August 25, 2017, which the UN called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” and dubbed as “genocide” by other rights groups.