When Interpol Comes Calling…™
International criminal courts apply substantive and procedural laws contained in the court’s governing statutes, its rules of procedure and conduct, other regulatory texts, and—to a lesser extent—case law.
Use this page to search for the basic legal texts by court, jurisdiction, or case.
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC)
The ICC is an independent court with jurisdiction over individual with respect to crimes committed after July 1, 2002. Cases may be referred by States Parties, the United Nations Security Council, and by states consenting to the Court’s jurisdiction.
Rome Statute (1998, entered into force Jul. 01, 2002)
Elements of Crimes (09/09/2002)
Rules of Procedures and Evidence (09/09/2002)
Regulations of the Court (as amended, 03/09/2005)
Code of Professional Conduct for Counsel (ICC/ASP/4/32, adopted Dec. 2, 2005)
Code of Judicial Ethics (03/09/2005)
Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the ICC (07/22/2004)
ICC Code of Professional Conduct (draft—wait until Dec. ?)
Other Documents
List of States Parties
Negotiated Relationship Agreement Between the ICC and the UN (10/04/2004)
Agreement with Interpol
AD HOC INTERNATIONAL COURTS
Ad hoc courts are creations of the United Nations with limited jurisdiction as to geographical place, time, and events.
International Criminal Tribunal For The Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
Statute of the Tribunal (04/2004) Rules of Procedure and Evidence (rev. 36, Jul. 21, 2005) Practice Direction on Formal Requirements for Appeals from Judgment (Mar. 07, 2005) ICTY Fugitives Poster, Dec. 8, 2005
Indictments
Genocide
Prosecutor v. Slobodan Milosevic: Kosovo (Oct. 29, 2001), Bosnia (Apr. 21, 2004), and Croatia (Jul. 28, 2004) (Genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity)
War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity Prosecutor v. Ivan Cermak and Mladen Marcak, Dec. 15, 2005
Prosecutor v. Ante Gotovina, Feb. 24, 2004
Decisions and Judgments
Acquittals
Genocide
War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity
Specially Noted for Rule-Making
Prosecutor v. Tihomir Blaskic, Case No. IT-95-14-A R108bis, Judgement on the Request of the Republic of Croatia for Review of Trial Chamber II of 18 July 1997, October 29, 1997. This decision by the Appeals Chamber establishes the rule of law that the ICTY may issue binding orders to states with regard to surrender and transfer requests. This authority may be enforced by referring a matter of state noncompliance to the United Nations Security Council.
International Criminal Tribunal For Rwanda (ICTR) Statute of the Tribunal Rules of Procedure and Evidence Code of Professional Conduct for Defense Counsel Practice Direction on Formal Requirements for Appeals from Judgment
Indictments
Prosecutor Against Aloys Simba, May 6, 2004, ICTR-2001-76-1
Decisions and Judgments
Trial Judgment, Prosecutor Against Jean-Paul Akayesu, Sept. 2, 1998, ICTR-96-4-T. This case first in which an international tribunal was called upon to interpret the definition of genocide as defined in the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948). This case also defined the crime of rape and established that acts of sexual violence may constitute genocide, so long as committed with the requisite genocidal intent.
Judgment of the Appeals Chamber, Jean-Paul Akayesu, June 1, 2001, ICTR-96-4-T
Trial Judgment, Prosecutor Against Jean Kambanda, Sept. 4, 1998, ICTR-97-23-S.
This conviction of the former Prime Minister of Rwanda was the first time that an accused person acknowledged his guilt for the crime of genocide before an international criminal tribunal. It was also the first time that a head of government was convicted for the crime of genocide.
Trial Judgment, Prosecutor Against Aloys Simba, Dec. 13, 2005, ICTR-2001-76-1 First conviction specifically addressing the Tutsi massacres in the Gikongoro area.
HYBRID COURTS
Hybrid courts enforce a combination of domestic and international criminal laws and may be formed by the United Nations alone for a specific purpose or may be formed by treaty between the U.N. and a single nation. In addition, the hybrid court may operation apart from the national judicial system (Sierra Leone) or may be integrated with it (Cambodia).
Special Court of Sierra Leone
Statute of the Special Court (01/16/2002)
Rules of Procedure and Evidence (as amended 05/14/2005)
Rules of Detention (as amended 05/14/2005)
Directive on the Assignment of Counsel (10/01/2003)
Completion Strategy (05/18/2005) Decisions and Judgments
Special Tribunal for Kosovo
Special Tribunal for East Timor
Iraqi Special Tribunal (IST)
Statute of the Special Tribunal (08/2005)
Rules of Procedure and Evidence (08/2005)
Elements of Crimes
Iraqi Penal Code (1969)
Iraqi Criminal Procedure Code (02/14/1971)
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
The Law on the Establishment of the Extraordinary Chambers (as amended 10/27/2004)
Agreement Between the United Nations and the Royal Government of Cambodia
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Agreement and ratification documents
UN Resolution A/Res/57/228 B
Agreement, signed version in English
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL CONVENTIONS AND TREATIES
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide