The International Criminal Court - The Moment it Comes into Play
- Rupayan Thakur
- July 14, 2020
Content :
“…the most serious crimes of concern to the International Community as a whole must not go unpunished…”
- Preamble to the Roman Statute of the International Criminal Court
For the first time in human history, nations decided to accept the jurisdiction of a permanent international body for the sake of prosecution of perpetrators of the most serious crimes committed within their borders. It was 17 July 1998 when 120 nations adopted a statute in Rome known as the Roman Statute of the International Criminal Court thus establishing the International Criminal Court. These Statutes dictate that every country must exercise its criminal jurisdiction over those responsible for global crimes.
The International Criminal Court (the ICC) can only intervene where a nation is unable or unwilling (in a genuine manner) to carry out the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators. Its primary mission is to help put an end to the most serious crimes in question to the global community as a whole, and thus to contribute to their prevention. A well-informed public can contribute to guaranteeing lasting respect for and the enforcement of international justice.
