By Matt Walsh, III Form

The Unfortunate Failures of the International Criminal Court

For advocates of human rights, peace, and equality, the International Criminal Court (ICC) seemed to be an ultimate solution to acts of violence, hatred, and greed. The ICC acts as a court of last resort, prosecuting crimes when national courts cannot. With the ICC, many thought the world could be one step closer to international order. Unfortunately, a lack of cooperation has turned a seemingly revolutionary idea into a lamentable failure. The ICC hopes “that by ending impunity for such crimes, [it] might prevent the occurrence and contribute to the peace, security, and well-being of the world”
(“Law”).  However, The ICC is not a viable and sustainable path to justice because of its inability to prosecute perpetrators from both State Parties and non-State Parties, its historical failure to prosecute major international crimes, and its practice of retributive justice that fails to restore peace. (more…)