International courts prosecute individuals for grave crimes like genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity that shock the global conscience. They fill gaps where national systems fail, promoting accountability and deterring future atrocities through fair trials and due process.
Permanent vs. Ad Hoc Courts
These courts divide into permanent bodies like the International Criminal Court (ICC), established in 2002 by the Rome Statute as the world’s first ongoing tribunal for such crimes, and ad hoc tribunals like the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) or Rwanda (ICTR), created by UN Security Council for specific conflicts.
Key Principles and Operations
Operating on complementarity, they act only if states are unwilling or unable to prosecute. Governed by structures including judges, prosecutors, and registries, they ensure cooperation from UN member states for evidence and arrests, advancing global justice while respecting sovereignty.
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