The evolution of the international criminal justice system with special emphasis on its efficacy in dealing with international crimes

Abstract

The present research envisages a detailed study regarding the evolution of the international criminal justice system, that is, the journey from the setting up of the ad-hoc tribunals of Tokyo and Nuremberg to the establishment of the International Criminal Court through the Rome statute. This has been followed by a functional study of the Rome statute and the decisions rendered by the ICC which help improve our understanding on the issues stunting the growth of the ICC. The study is aimed at ascertaining whether the Rome statute is efficacious in dealing with international crimes in its current setup or does it need an overhaul in order for it to fulfill its mandate of dealing with international crimes. The findings reveal that while the international criminal justice system has come a long way in the last few decades, yet a lot remains to be done. Only with universal jurisdiction, will it be possible for the ICC to function independently as a true international court and fulfill its original mandate of punishing the perpetrators of the most serious international crimes known to mankind. newline