Has the International Criminal Court fulfilled its purpose?

Abstract

This term paper’s main objectives is to determine whether the International Criminal Court ( ICC ) has fulfilled its purpose and objectives as laid in the Rome Statute. The title of the term paper is meant to be rhetorical seeing that there is not a simple yes or no answer but rather a more complex answer would be necessary to attempt to answer such a question. However, in order to determine if the ICC is fulfilling its purpose and objective, the first thing that needs to be determined is about what constitutes the ICC. In simpler terms, the first part of the term paper is a general overview of the ICC including the stated objectives of the Court. The second part of the term paper is an overview of all cases and situations that the ICC has been or is investigating or prosecuting. The listing of case law and situations under review of the ICC is to give the reader a better understanding on the work that the ICC undertakes. The third part of the term paper gives a critical analysis of the Court’s work. This part of the paper attempts to find the complex answer made in the title of the term paper. In this part of the paper, I outline the various aspects that either positively or negatively effect the ICC’s work. The final part of this paper is more than a mere conclusion but rather a recoup of all the critiques made in the third part of the paper and answer the question being made in this term paper.