The International Criminal Court was established in accordance with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which came into effect on July 1, 2002. This is a tribunal that prosecutes and tries individuals guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression.
Jurisdiction is limited to the trial of individuals, and it only has jurisdiction over the above-mentioned four international crimes after the entry into force of the Statute. In fact, it is not yet possible to exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression.
In 2016, Burundi, South Africa, Gambia, and Russia announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court. On March 14, 2018, Rodrigo Duterte announced that the Philippines would withdraw from the International Criminal Court, effective immediately. On March 17, 2019, the Philippines officially withdrew from the International Criminal Court.
On March 3, 2021, the International Criminal Court announced the launch of a formal investigation into the situation in Palestine, saying that the main focus of the investigation would be the victims of criminal acts by both Palestine and Israel. The statement stated that the content of the investigation is crimes related to the situation in Palestine and within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court since June 2014 (the date Palestine accepted the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court).
Responsibilities of the International Criminal Court:
The International Criminal Court will hear cases entrusted to it by states, prosecutors and the United Nations Security Council. This court has the power to try genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression, but it only pursues individual criminal responsibility. It can only intervene when national courts are unable to try on their own.
The Prosecutor will prosecute offenders with the consent of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber at the request of a state or the United Nations Security Council. According to regulations, the International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction to hear criminal cases that occurred before July 1, 2002.