One wall of the Large Hall of Justice is fully covered by a huge painting depicting three wise men ousting combating parties, with a triumphant female Peace in the foreground. This work by the 19th century French painter Albert Besnard (1849 - 1934) was a gift from France and is entitled "Peace by Justice". The four enormous stained glass windows by the Scottish designer Douglas Strachan behind the long magistrates’ table immediately catch the eye. The main theme of this British work of art is "The Development of the Peace Ideal". Similar to the stained glass windows in medieval cathedrals, the windows provide historic and allegoric images throughout the centuries, from the times of war, conquests and oppression by the forces of evil, to the times of order and harmony and towards a visionary future under the heading "Peace Realised".

The public sessions of the ICJ are held against this magnificent background, as were a large number of important conferences which were attended by world and spiritual leaders like Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Pope John Paul and the Dalaï Lama.

Art work

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