Pengadilan HAM Internasional | Muchamad Ali Safa'at

The International Criminal Court

Design by Deborah H. Cotton - Georgia, USA Email: dc10@bellsouth.net

From Nuremberg to Rome

Aggressive War, War Crimes,
Crimes against Peace
Crimes against Humanity

Poster Courtesy of AI (2000).

The Need for the International Criminal Court

Photo Courtesy of Mandy Jacobson
Internews.org for Rwanda.

Photos Courtesy of Associated Press OnlineKosovo

The ICC: A History in Brief


• International Law Commission (ILC)
• Ad hoc Tribunals
• PrepCom

ISC-ICC and UN Public Info

The International Criminal Court

Meeting of 160 countries to adopt
the Rome Treaty, 17 July 1998.

Benjamin B. Ferencz
Nuremberg Prosecutor
Photo Courtesy of Benjamin

Why the ICC is Important


deter future war criminals




promote universal justice



end impunity



help end conflicts



remedy deficiencies of
ad hoc tribunals

• complement

national judicial


systems

Photos Courtesy of AP-Kosovo
United Nations-public info.

Current Recourse


Sanctions



embargoes



collective military force




ad hoc tribunals

ISC-ICC, United Nations Public Info

ICTY and ICTR (ad hoc tribunals)
War Crimes
Rape
Genocide

1993 Resolution 827
The Hague

http://www.un.org/icty/glance.htm

Crimes
against
Humanity
1995 Resolution 955
Arusha, Tanzania


http://www.ictr.org/

Problems of Ad hoc Tribunals
• Selective justice
• Funding
• Slow pace of arrest and prosecutions
• Management and administrative difficulties
• Inmate population
• Time/place restrictions
• Surrender and/or arrest of suspects

HRW-ICC Public Info-ISC-ICC

Article 5
Crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC








genocide
crimes against humanity
war crimes
the crime of aggression.

http://www.un.org/law/icc/index.html

Article 13
Exercise of jurisdiction
S ta te P a rty
S e c u rity C o u n c il





P ro s e c u to r


State Party to the Statute
UN Security Council under Chapter VII (UN Charter)
Prosecutor with approval of Pre-Trial Chamber

http://www.un.org/law/icc/statute/romefra.htm

Jurisdiction Facts



The ICC will complement national jurisdiction



The ICC will not have independent enforcement
powers




The ICC will not be “retroactive”

Rome Statute-Article 17, 18, 19

Judicial Appointment
Selection Criteria:





Gender / Geographical representation
Elected by a 2/3 majority of State’s Party
Reputation for fairness and competency
Competent in relevant areas of law

Rome Statute-Article 36.

Misguided Fears of the ICC
Part I (Political)



Sovereignty / international authority



Humanitarian intervention would be
hampered



U.S. military should be exempt

(ICC-Setting the Record Straight).

Misguided Fears of the ICC
Part II (Constitutional / Legal)
• Due Process / absence of defendant’s
rights (principles of justice are universal)




Malicious / false prosecution



Ex-post facto prosecutions

(ICC-Setting the Record Straight).

The Rome Statute entered into force on 1 July 2002.

Article 11:
(1) The Court has jurisdiction only with respect to crimes committed
after the entry into force of this Statute.
(2) If a State becomes a Party to this Statute after its entry into force,
the Court may exercise its jurisdiction only with respect to crimes
committed after the entry into force of this Statute for that State,
unless that State has made a declaration under article 12, paragraph
3.


http://www.un.org/law/icc/statute/romefra.htm

Acceptance of the ICC: Current Status



The necessary 60 ratifications have

been achieved with the simultaneous
ratification of ten countries that were
deposited at the UN on April 11, 2002.
This brings to date over 75+ ratifications.

Status and updates: http://www.ciccnow.org/

Kingdom of Cambodia
April 2, 2002

Photo courtesy: UN legal Affairs

Current Ratifications Status

The Coalition for the International Criminal Court had declared a 
campaign goal of achieving 60 ratifications (number needed for the 
entry into force of the Statute) by the 4th anniversary of the adoption of 
the Rome Statute ­ July 17, 2002. The unexpectedly rapid pace of 
ratifications has surpassed this goal: As of July 30, 2002, the Rome 
Statute had 76 States Parties and 139 Signatories, representing every 
region of the world and every legal system. 
The Coalition for the International Criminal Court is continuing to 
work towards universal ratification of the Rome Statute, and seeks to 
ensure strong implementing legislation is in place in countries that 
ratify the Rome Statute. 

http://www.iccnow.org/html/countryindex.html

Key Upcoming Issues


Election of Judges



Assembly of State Parties Meeting



First Year Budget



Practical Issues
http://www.ciccnow.org/

QUESTIONS
Will all of the Constitutional protections enjoyed by American citizens
be protected by the ICC?
Will the ICC really have much purpose, since there have only been three
international tribunals in 50 years?
What prevents the ICC from extending its jurisdiction and becoming a
judiciary arm of a world government?