International Law
Sep. 18, 2025
Ramskells, the Witness: The cat who guards international law
At the Peace Palace in The Hague, a towering black cat sculpture called The Witness watches over the courts and law library, blending legend and art: it recalls the heroic--but likely apocryphal--story of Ramskells, a cat said to have saved the justices from a 1924 fire, while also serving as a modern symbol of vigilance and observation over the world of international law.
Scott M. Gordon
Neutral
Signature Resolution LLC
Email: judgegordon@signatureresolution.com
Southwestern University School of Law
Judge Gordon (Ret.) is a member of the International Network of Hague Judges.
There's an
old English proverb about cats: "A cat has nine lives. For three he
plays, for three he strays and for the last three he stays." For one cat in The
Hague, he spends at least one of his lives watching over the Peace Palace.
The Peace Palace stands in The Hague, Netherlands. It is dedicated to a mission that shoul...
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