The International Criminal Court at a Crossroads

Abstract More than 25 years after the adoption of the Rome Statute, the International Criminal Court (ICC) finds itself in the middle of turmoil between ambitious goals underlying its founding instrument and the increasingly diverse composition of its state parties, with both divergent interests and divergent perceptions of its role. At the same time, it is needed more than ever with a whole set of crimes committed during armed conflicts for which it has jurisdiction. It is against this background that the article focuses on the role of the Court in the international legal system, its interaction with the Security Council and states making referrals, as well as the development of substantive international criminal law through amendments to the Rome Statute and the Court’s jurisprudence. It argues for a somewhat cautious approach in order to safeguard its crucial role in the international legal system in the long term.