What is the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)?

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an international agreement that was adopted in 1998 and came into force in 2002. It is the founding document that established the ICC, an independent permanent court based in The Hague, Netherlands. The ICC has the power to prosecute individuals for the most serious international crimes - crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide - when national courts are unwilling or unable to do so. The Rome Statute grants the court jurisdiction over individuals from all countries, regardless of where the crime was committed. The ICC is composed of 18 judges elected to nine-year terms by the Assembly of States Parties (ASP). Each judge is allotted to one of the four-year rotations. The Court also consists of a Prosecutor, an independent body that investigates and prosecutes individuals, and a Registry, responsible for providing administrative and legal services to the Court. The ICC is a unique court in that it is a court of last resort. It only steps in when there is no other recourse. It is also the only court of its kind to have a statute that is binding on all parties, regardless of nationality or location. In the United States, the ICC is not a party to the Rome Statute. This means that the ICC does not have the authority to prosecute individuals for crimes committed in Nevada. However, if a case is referred to the ICC from another court or is submitted by the U.S., then the ICC would have the jurisdiction to hear the case.

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What is the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)?

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