International Criminal Court (ICC)

The world's first permanent international criminal court, based in The Hague. It tries individuals, not states, for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

It was created by the Rome Statute, a treaty adopted in Rome on 17 July 1998 that entered into force on 1 July 2002. It is a court of last resort: it complements national courts rather than replacing them, and acts when a country is unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute.

Related terms: tribunal, Nuremberg Code, no-touch torture

Sources: The Court — International Criminal Court · Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: status and entry into force — United Nations Treaty Collection