Which of the following statements regarding the International Criminal...
The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. The Court is participating in a global fight to end impunity. Through international criminal justice, the Court aims to hold those responsible accountable for their crimes and help prevent them from happening again. The International Criminal Court is not a substitute for national courts. According to the Rome Statute, every State has to exercise its criminal jurisdiction over those responsible for international crimes. So, Option (a) is correct.
As a judicial institution, the ICC has no police force or enforcement body. Thus, it relies on cooperation with countries worldwide for support, particularly for making arrests, transferring arrested persons to the ICC detention center in The Hague, freezing suspects’ assets, and enforcing sentences. While not a United Nations organization, the Court has a cooperation agreement with the United Nations. When a situation is not within the Court’s jurisdiction, the United Nations Security Council can refer it to the ICC, granting it jurisdiction. So, Option (b) is not correct.
On 17 July 1998, a conference of 160 States established the first treaty-based permanent international criminal Court. The treaty adopted during that conference is the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Among other things, it sets out the crimes falling within the jurisdiction of the ICC, the rules of procedure and the mechanisms for States to cooperate with the ICC. The countries which have accepted these rules are known as States Parties and are represented in the Assembly of States Parties. The Assembly of States Parties, which meets at least once a year, sets the general policies for the administration of the Court and reviews its activities. So, Option (c) is correct.
The Court has no power to arrest sitting heads of State or bring them to trial and instead must rely on other leaders and governments to act as its sheriffs around the world. A suspect who manages to evade capture may never have a hearing to confirm the charges. So, Option (d) is correct.