International Criminal Court: Developments & U.S. Policy

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. While the U.S. executive branch initially supported the idea of creating an international criminal court, the U.S. ultimately voted against the Statute of the ICC and informed the United Nations that the U.S. did not intend to become a State Party to the Rome Statute. The United States’ primary objection to the treaty has been the potential for the ICC to assert jurisdiction over U.S. civilian policymakers and U.S. soldiers charged with war crimes . This book focuses on the jurisdiction, extradition and U.S. policy of the International Criminal Court.