The International Court of Justice (ICJ), will commence hearing oral arguments in Guyana’s border case against Venezuela in May. The oral hearing will pave the way for a final judgement from the Court on the controversy.

Last August, Venezuela filed its rejoinder to Guyana’s December 2024 reply. While Venezuela has been participating in the ICJ case, the Venezuela government has long said that it does not recognize the ICJ’s jurisdiction in the case.

Venezuela’s position is that that border controversy should be resolved through negotiations. Guyana has rejected that position.

Speaking during his weekly “Issues in the News” programme, Guyana’s Attorney General, Anil Nandlall announced that the hearing will take place from May 4 to 8, and is expected to be carried over to the following week.

“The case filed by Guyana against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela at the International of Justice on Monday 4 May 2026 and the hearings will continue each and every day of that week and will likely go over to the following week if the court decides to do so,” Mr. Nandlall announced.

Mr. Nandlall will join a battery of international lawyers, who are defending Guyana’s case before the ICJ.

The hearing next week will be the one of the final stages in the International Court process.

Guyana maintains that the 1899 Award is final and binding, while Venezuela continues to lay claim to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s territory.

Guyana moved to the ICJ in 2018, seeking confirmation that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which definitively established the boundary between the two countries, is valid and legally binding. 

The International Court of Justice, (ICJ) today confirmed that it will hold public hearings in the case over a seven day period.

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