International Criminal Court

1.International Criminal Court: The U.S. President recently signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel, a close U.S. ally.

• About ICC: Founded in 2002 to prosecute individuals responsible for the world’s worst crimes.

oEstablished by the Rome Statute (17 July 1998), which defines the ICC’s jurisdiction, structure, and functions. The Rome Statute came into force on 1 July 2002.

• Mandate & Jurisdiction:

oCore Crimes: Investigates and prosecutes genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.

oComplementary Role: Acts as a court of last resort, stepping in only when national courts fail to prosecute.

oJurisdiction: The offence must occur in a Rome Statute member country → Perpetrator's country of origin must be an ICC member → ICC acts only if national courts are unable or unwilling to prosecute → Only applies to crimes committed after 1 July 2002.

• Members: 125 countries are ICC members, but China, India, Israel, Russia, and the U.S. are not part of it, funded by member state contributions and voluntary donations from governments, organizations, and individuals.
• Structure of the ICC: 18 judges, each from a different member country, elected for non-renewable nine-year terms.
• Security Council Role: The UN Security Council can refer cases to the ICC if they fall outside its jurisdiction (Article 2 of the Rome Statute).