On December 17, 2013, Timor-Leste instituted proceedings against Australia at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Australian agents’ seizure and subsequent detention “of documents, data and other property which belongs to Timor-Leste and/or which Timor-Leste has the right to protect under international law.”  According to the press release, Timor-Leste also filed a request for the indication of provisional measures in order to “protect its rights and to prevent the use of seized documents and data by Australia against the interests and rights of Timor-Leste in the pending arbitration and with regard to other matters relating to the Timor Sea and its resources.”  On December 18, 2013, ICJ President Tomka, acting pursuant to Article 74 of the Rules of the Court, sent an urgent communication to the Prime Minister of Australia in order to draw the government’s attention “to the need to act in such a way as to enable any Order the Court will make on the request for provisional measures to have its appropriate effects, in particular to refrain from any act which might cause prejudice to the rights claimed by the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste in the present proceedings.”  Public hearings will be held this month.