Zwischen Rechtsberatung und Rechtsprechung

Advisory proceedings occupy the intersection between legal consultation and adjudication. The procedural principles that apply when such proceedings concern an interstate dispute have so far remained largely unresolved. Against this backdrop, this study systematically explores advisory proceedings as both judicial and community-oriented procedures. The legal relevance of advisory opinions is examined first from a theoretical and then from an empirical perspective. Both strands—the advisory function and the legal relevance of the opinions—are ultimately brought together and conceptualized as the decisive factors guiding the court's exercise of discretion in the proceedings.