THE JUDICIAL BOARD
The Judicial Board is the fourth OAPEC organ created under the Agreement. It was established by a special Protocol that was signed in Kuwait on May 9, 1978. The Protocol was attached to the Organization's Agreement and came into effect on April 20, 1980. Judges of the Board (Tribunal) were first elected on May 6,1981.
The protocol stipulated that the Tribunal shall consist of an uneven number of judges of Arab citizenship, who shall not be less than seven and not more than eleven.
The Judicial Board (Tribunal) also has an advisory jurisdiction enabling it to give its opinion on issues referred to it by the Ministerial Council. Its judgments are considered final and binding on the parties of the dispute and shall be enforceable in territories of member countries.