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The International Criminal Court and Universal Jurisdiction: A Close Encounter?
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 January 2008
Abstract
The fact that the International Criminal Court has not been granted universal jurisdiction exercisable proprio motu has often been criticized on the basis that it will leave some offences beyond its power to prosecute. This article investigates whether the drafters of the Rome Statute were necessarily wrong in deciding not to grant the court such jurisdiction. It concludes that to have given the Court universal jurisdiction would have been lawful under current international law, and would have provided a welcome reaffirmation of the concept. Still, the nature of the cooperation regime and of the Prosecutor's investigatory remit, would mean that such jurisdiction would be difficult, if not impossible, for the Court to use. As the Court has to operate in a world of sovereign States, not all of whom are sympathetic to it, the drafters' choice was a prudent one.
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References
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45 Which the vast majority of the 499 communications to the Prosecutor between July 2002 and July 2003 did, see ICC Press Release 16 July 2003, pids.009–2003–EN.
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60 ie when, of the territorial, nationality, passive personality or custodial State, only the custodial State has ratified the Rome Statute.
61 It is true that Art 15 is not limited to ‘situations’, but it is limited to ‘crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court’ (Art 15(1)). In this instance, where custody is the only link, all other offenders not in the custody of State parties would not have committed crimes ‘subject to the jurisdiction’ of the ICC, thus would be beyond the reach of the Prosecutor's powers.
62 It also shows that were the ICC Statute to be altered to permit such jurisdiction, further changes to the Statute would have to be considered.
63 In relation to State-based referrals, there are situations in which this could, and would, be challenged.
64 And that is the sole basis of jurisdiction.
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68 Which reads: ‘States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Statute, cooperate fully with the Court in its investigation and prosecution of crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court.’
69 This differs from the relevant provision of the ad hoc Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda where Art 29 of the ICTY Statute (Art 28 of the ICTR Statute) is the sole, but all-encompassing provision.
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80 Sudan has signed, but not ratified the Rome Statute.
81 Operative para 2.
82 This resolution also confirms that there is no customary obligation on States to cooperate with the Court; such a suggestion is canvassed, however, in Claus, Kreβ and Kimberly, Prost, ‘Article 87’ in Triffterer, (ed) (n 7) 1055, 1063–4.Google Scholar
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85 ibid Arts 89(2), 94, and 95.
86 ibid Arts 93(1)(1), 93(3), 93(4), 90, and 98.
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97 Declarations pursuant to Art 87(1)(a) of Albania, Argentina, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland (although Finland permits other appropriate authorities to be contacted by the Court), Germany, Honduras, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, and FYROM (available at <http://untreaty.un.org/ENGLISH/bible/ english-internetbible/partI/chapterXVIII/treaty 11.asp>).
98 Declarations of (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Argentina, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay, (DRC, Estonia, France (or the Ministry of Justice), Lithuania (or the Ministry of Justice)) (all available ibid). Austria, Brazil, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Timor-Leste, and the UK have expressed no preference.
99 Many of whom have identified diplomatic channels as the relevant ones, See, eg, declarations of Andorra, Australia, Belize, Colombia, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Mali, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Panama, Samoa, and Sierra Leone (all available ibid). This method leaves discretion in the ICC who to address correspondence to, and the diplomatic channels who to deliver it to.
100 Art 87(1)(a) and (3) ICC Statute.
101 See Situation in Uganda, Decision on Prosecutor's Application for Unsealing of the Warrants of Arrest ICC–02/04–01/05, 13 Oct 2005 [hereinafter ‘Unsealing Decision’] paras 14, 17, and 20. There are concerns that the level of protection may not prove enough, see Situation in Uganda, Decision to Convene a Status Conference Related to Safety and Security in Uganda, ICC–02/04–01/05, 25 Nov 2005.
102 See Prosecutor v Krstić, Judgment, IT–98–33–T, 2 Aug 2001, para 78.
103 See Prosecutor v Tadić, Order for the Prosecution to Investigate the False Testimony of Dragan Opacić IT –94–1, T, 10 Dec 1996.
104 See Unsealing Decision para 14, which cites the Prosecutor's argument that unsealing the warrants was ‘a feasible and powerful means of garnering international attention and support for arrest efforts, thus further ensuring the protection of victims, potential witnesses and their families’.
105 The arrest warrant for Lubanga Dyilo was only made public after the plane carrying him to the Hague left DRC airspace, see Prosecutor v Lubanga Dyilo. Decision to Unseal the Warrant of Arrest Against Mr Thomas Lubanga Dyilo and Related Documents ICC–01/04–01/06–37, 17 Mar 2006.
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110 Its practice in relation to the ICTY does not give great reason for hope. See, eg, Statement by the President of the Security Council, S/PRST/1996/23; and, Statement by the President of the Security Council, S/PRST/1996/34. The closest the SC has come to explicitly requesting compliance Res 1207, 17 Nov 1998, S//RES/1207 (1998). Equally, the Council, in referring the situation in Darfur to the ICC exceeded expectations, so perhaps there is room for (very) cautious) optimism.
111 The argument is critiqued along the lines that follow, in Schabas, William A, ‘The International Criminal Court: The Secret of its Success’ (2001) 12 Criminal Law Forum 415, 418–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
112 Kofi Annan ‘Preface’, in Lee (n 13) ix, ix.
113 Indeed, one of the problems the ICC will face is the ‘impunity gap’ in the situations it deals with, as it cannot prosecute any more than a small sample of offences in any one conflict, and cannot force other States to do so.
114 See Schabas (n 118) 417–19. Although the question of passive personality jurisdiction is, strictly, beyond this article's parameters, the temptation to note that granting such jurisdiction might have prompted more ratifications (from States seeking to protect their nationals) is irresistible.
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