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Simple English definitions for legal terms
International Criminal Court
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A quick definition of International Criminal Court:
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a permanent court that prosecutes people who commit very serious crimes that affect the whole world. These crimes include things like genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. The ICC was created by a special agreement called the Rome Statute, which was signed by many countries. The ICC is not part of the United Nations, and it is located in the Netherlands. It is different from other courts because it is meant to be a permanent court that is always there to prosecute people who commit these very serious crimes.
A more thorough explanation:
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a permanent, independent international criminal court that has jurisdiction over individuals who commit the most serious crimes that concern the international community. The ICC was established by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which was adopted on July 17, 1998, and came into force on July 1, 2002. Currently, there are 110 countries that are State Parties to the Rome Statute.
The ICC is located in Hague, Netherlands, and is not a part of the United Nations system. The ICC is intended to prosecute the following crimes:
- The crime of genocide
- Crimes against humanity
- War crimes
- The crime of aggression
For example, if a person commits genocide, which is the intentional killing of a large group of people based on their race, religion, or nationality, the ICC can prosecute them. Similarly, if a person commits a war crime, such as intentionally attacking civilians during a war, the ICC can prosecute them.
The ICC is a permanent criminal tribunal, unlike ad hoc international criminal tribunals such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). The ICC is intended to be a continuing permanent criminal tribunal.