The international criminal court Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The international criminal court - Essay Example The International Criminal Court was established to provide assistance in the most complex international crime situations. The ICC is a fully independent institution that operates in accordance with the Rome Statute and aims at dealing with the most serious international crimes, including crimes against humanity. Some of the most famous cases in the ICC included the case of Milosevich and prosecutions against the political and military leaders of Congo and Uganda. Based on the principles of legitimacy, fairness, and justice, the ICC exemplifies a successful attempt to resolve the most controversial crime situations and issues at the supranational level. The ICC: purpose and structure The International Criminal Court (ICC) is fairly regarded as the central and most important body in the criminal prosecution process. It â€Å"is the first permanent, treaty based, international criminal court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community† (ICC 2010). Needless to say, the ICC is primarily concerned with the crimes against humanity and their consequences. It is a fully independent organization, which has nothing to do with any of the current international humanitarian unions and organizations, including the United Nations, and operates in accordance with â€Å"the norms and principles of the Rome Statute† (ICC 2010). ... the ICC, it is one of the most successful legal courts ever created by humanity – it helps to reach and further maintains â€Å"international consensus on the most problematic definitions of war crimes, genocides, and other crimes against humanity† (ICC 2010). There is an emerging consensus that impunity in the modern society contradicts the basic principles of humanitarian activity and is simply unacceptable (ICC 2010). Following the end of the civil conflicts in Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the International Criminal Tribunal tried but failed to achieve the purpose of global justice; and it was not before 1998 that a new international court was created to support the humanity in its movement toward stability and peace. The ICC is a complex institutional body, which comprises Presidency, Judicial divisions, Office of the Prosecutor, Registry, and other offices (ICC 2010). â€Å"Although the ICC has never been a part or member of the United Nations organization, it maintains productive cooperative ties with the UN† (ICC 2010). Three Judges make up the court’s Presidency, which is primarily responsible for managing, administering, and monitoring all Court’s operations, â€Å"with the exception of the Prosecutor† (ICC 2010). â€Å"The Presidency is elected by other, fellow judges, for a three years’ term† (ICC 2010). The ICC’s current President is Sang-Huyn Song, whereas Judges Fatoumata Dembele Diarra and Hans-Peter Kaul are the first and second vice-presidents, accordingly (ICC 2010). The Court consists of the Pre-Trial, Trial, and Appeals divisions, with eighteen judges in them (ICC 2010). Each division has six judges, which are responsible for proceedings at different stages of the criminal prosecution process (ICC 2010). In its turn, the Office of the Prosecutor’s