The Role of the UN Security Council in relation to the International Criminal Court: A Critical Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21271/ZJlP.22.36.11الملخص
The UN Security Council which represents the UN's political body, and the International Criminal Court (ICC), which represents the system's judiciary, are two significant international bodies. According to the ICC's Rome Statute, they are linked by a legal basis. The Security Council's function in relation to the work of the ICC is defined within Chapter VII of the UN Charter under Articles 13 and 16 of the ICC Statute, which deal with the powers to refer a case to the court and to suspend its proceedings. These powers can be considered to be a positive act of referral for the aim of preserving international peace and security; however, it can also be viewed as a negative act that suspends the operations of the court and interferes with the independence of the court. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide a critical review of the role of the Security Council as an obstacle to the independent work of the ICC. The study found that the lack of assurance in the Rome Statute shielding it from interference increases the Security Council 's authority over the ICC's functioning. The ICC might be viewed as being directly influenced by the Security Council’s authority in this instance, losing its impartiality and succumbing to political pressure.
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