What is the International Criminal Court (ICC)?
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an international body of justice that seeks to prosecute individuals for serious crimes that endanger, or threaten the peace, security, and well-being of the international community. It has jurisdiction over individuals, not nations, and charges its suspects with genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. It is the first permanent international court that enjoys a universal presence, and is based in The Hague, Netherlands. The ICC works in partnership with domestic courts, which have the primary responsibility for prosecuting individuals for international crimes. This means that if a state proves unable or unwilling to hold perpetrators of international crimes accountable, the ICC can step in and assume jurisdiction over the case. Additionally, the ICC handles cases to which the United Nations Security Council refers or, in some cases, investigations that the ICC prosecutor initiates on their own. In North Carolina, and throughout the United States, the ICC is viewed as a controversial institution. Although the US has never signed the Rome Statute—which established the ICC in 1998—there is nonetheless a concern that the court’s ability to prosecute individuals over international crimes is too powerful and could infringe on domestic legal systems and sovereignty. Many countries, such as North Carolina, have taken steps to ensure that their citizens are not subject to the jurisdiction of the ICC.
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