Purpose and nature
According to the Fordham International law journal, the purpose of the International Criminal Court is to impose punishment for the most serious crimes committed at an international level and to bring individual offenders to justice. The Court has jurisdiction to rule over four types of crimes that is genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and as of 2010 the crime of aggression. The four types of crime regulated by the International Criminal Court also make up part of the Vienna convention established under the United Nations. The purpose of the court is not just to punish past crimes but also the own going and current violations of humanity. An example that gross violations are ongoing and need serious attention …show more content…
The preamble of the Rome statute of the international court sets out the ultimate goal for having an international court by “Affirming that the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole must not go unpunished and that their effective prosecution must be ensured by taking measures at the national level and by enhancing international cooperation” and being “Determined to put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of these crimes and thus to contribute to the prevention of such crimes”. The irony of the affirmation and determination of the Rome statute is that the world’s most influential powers for example the United States of America, China and Russia cannot be subjected to the rules of the ICC as they are not a party it. Many grievous war crimes are committed in these states yet the focus remains on African countries. In 1945 the United States President Harry S. Truman, United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Government Chiang Kai-shek issued the Potsdam Declaration, which outlined the terms of surrender of Japan as agreed upon at the Potsdam Conference, thereafter the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki all in the name of getting Japan to surrender. As a result of this millions of people were killed and as of to date children are still being born with defects. It all happened as a product of instructions from leaders whom the International Criminal Court cannot call upon to bring to justice. If the International Criminal Court can control some parts of the world and not others then it becomes a limping body that has not much effect. What also adds to this
According to the Fordham International law journal, the purpose of the International Criminal Court is to impose punishment for the most serious crimes committed at an international level and to bring individual offenders to justice. The Court has jurisdiction to rule over four types of crimes that is genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and as of 2010 the crime of aggression. The four types of crime regulated by the International Criminal Court also make up part of the Vienna convention established under the United Nations. The purpose of the court is not just to punish past crimes but also the own going and current violations of humanity. An example that gross violations are ongoing and need serious attention …show more content…
The preamble of the Rome statute of the international court sets out the ultimate goal for having an international court by “Affirming that the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole must not go unpunished and that their effective prosecution must be ensured by taking measures at the national level and by enhancing international cooperation” and being “Determined to put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of these crimes and thus to contribute to the prevention of such crimes”. The irony of the affirmation and determination of the Rome statute is that the world’s most influential powers for example the United States of America, China and Russia cannot be subjected to the rules of the ICC as they are not a party it. Many grievous war crimes are committed in these states yet the focus remains on African countries. In 1945 the United States President Harry S. Truman, United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Government Chiang Kai-shek issued the Potsdam Declaration, which outlined the terms of surrender of Japan as agreed upon at the Potsdam Conference, thereafter the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki all in the name of getting Japan to surrender. As a result of this millions of people were killed and as of to date children are still being born with defects. It all happened as a product of instructions from leaders whom the International Criminal Court cannot call upon to bring to justice. If the International Criminal Court can control some parts of the world and not others then it becomes a limping body that has not much effect. What also adds to this