The International Court of Justice (ICJ) was established by the Charter of the United Nations and is the principal judicial organ of that Organization. The Court is composed of 15 judges, each elected to serve a nine-year term of office by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. Judges are selected from among persons of high moral character, who possess the qualifications required in their respective countries for appointment to the highest judicial offices. One third of the Court is elected every three years. The Court has a twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law, through judgments which have binding force and are without appeal for the parties concerned, legal disputes submitted to it by States; and, second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies. The Court is the only principal organ of the United Nations to have its own administration (Charter, Article 98). The Registry is the permanent international secretariat of the Court. Since the Court is both a judicial body and an international institution, the role of the Registry includes providing judicial support and acting as a permanent administrative organ. The activities of the Registry are thus administrative, as well as judicial and diplomatic. The Registry is headed by the Registrar, who is elected by the Members of the Court. The Court wishes to appoint a number of Law Clerks, each of whom will provide research and other legal assistance to one of the judges of the Court. For administrative purposes, the Law Clerks are attached to the Department of Legal Matters of the Registry.