ICC Legal and Ethical Controversy - Essay Example

The International Criminal Court (ICC) functions like any ordinary criminal court, with the only difference being that member states, as opposed to individual claimants, or the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) refer situations of serious crimes to the ICC prosecutor. The crimes are usually war offences or crimes against humanity deemed to be of significant magnitude. It is after evaluating available information on the situation that the prosecutor decides whether it is reasonable to investigate further and present the case before the court.

Even though the ICC, which was established in 2003, seems to have a genuine interest to seek justice for crime victims, it has not been devoid of legal and ethical controversy. For instance, since its establishment until now the ICC has only opened cases on African member nations.  This has prompted many African organizations like the African Union (AU) to question the legitimacy of the ICC as an international platform for justice. The legality of the ICC has also been brought to question, owing to the lack of comprehensive evidence collection and procedural concerns.