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In 1998 an international conference in Rome adopted a statute for such a Court. The statute came into effect on 1 July 2002, 60 days after its 60th ratification, and the Court was formally opened on 11 March 2003. Its seat is at The Hague. Britain, along with all other European Union member states, has ratified the statute, and thus become a party to it. As of May 2003, however, the United States, although a signatory to the statute, has not yet ratified it, and has shown a marked reluctance to do so. The same is true of Israel.
The Court has jurisdiction over individuals charged with the most serious crimes of international concern: genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, and also the crime of aggression once an acceptable definition for the Court\'s jurisdiction over it is adopted. The alleged crime, however, must have taken place on the territory of a party to the Court, and the relevant national legal system must have indicated an inability or unwillingness to prosecute the individual concerned. A prosecution may then be initiated by the UN Security Council, by a state party to the Court, or by the Court\'s Prosecutor. The Court does not have retrospective jurisdiction. See also international criminal law. |
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