INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC)

About:

• Mandate: it is an intergovernmental international tribunal for Criminal prosecution of individuals for four main crimes namely –
  • Genocide,
    
    
  • War crimes,
    
    
  • Crimes against humanity and
    
    
  • Crime of aggression.
    
    
  
  
  
• Established in: 2002 by Rome statue.
  
  
• HQ: Hague, Netherlands. The Court's official seat is in The Hague, Netherlands, but its proceedings may take place anywhere.
  
  
• Jurisdiction:
  • It can exercise its jurisdiction only when national courts are unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute such crimes.
    
    
  • The Court can generally exercise jurisdiction only in three cases, viz.
    • if the accused is a national of a state party,
      
      
    • if the alleged crime took place on the territory of a state party or
      
      
    • if a situation is referred to the Court by the United Nations Security Council.
      
      
    
    
    
  • Judges: 18; Elected for 9-year term.
    
    
  • Members: 123 countries. Israel, United States, Russia, china and India are not its member.
    
    
  • United States and ICC: The United States has not signed up to the court and in 2002, its Congress passed a law enabling Washington to invade the Netherlands to liberate any U.S. citizen held by the court.
    
    
  • Relation with UN:
    • While not a United Nations organization, the Court has a cooperation agreement with the United Nations.
      
      
    • When a situation is not within the Court’s jurisdiction, the United Nations Security Council can refer the situation to the ICC granting it jurisdiction.