World Court to Rule on Kosovo Independence

No matter which way the decision goes, it will be a legal ruling with enormous political consequences.

The World Court, formally the International Court of Justice, will hear Serbia's claim that Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence is illegal.

The decision will likely define the limits of self-determination, an issue that goes to the very heart of the Abkhazia and South Ossetia situation where they claim independence from Georgia. It may potentially hold an even greater significance in Ukraine where the pro-Russian population of Crimea, home to the Russian navy's Black Sea base of Sevastopol, wants no part of Ukranian efforts to join NATO.

CBC News reports that a decision isn't expected for two years.