International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC)

16 Jun 2025 GS 2 International Relations
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International Court of Justice (ICJ) 

1. Basic Facts

  • Established: 1945 (began work in 1946) as the principal judicial organ of the UN.

  • Seat: The Hague, Netherlands (only UN principal organ outside New York).

  • Judges: 15 judges elected by UNGA + UNSC for 9-year terms (staggered elections every 3 years).

  • Jurisdiction:

    • Contentious cases: Disputes between states (binding rulings).

    • Advisory opinions: Legal queries from UN bodies (non-binding).

2. Historical Background

  • Preceded by:

    • Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA, 1899)

    • Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ, 1922 under League of Nations).

  • ICJ replaced PCIJ after WWII under the UN Charter.

3. Key Functions

  • Settles interstate disputes (e.g., territorial, diplomatic, humanitarian law violations).

  • Clarifies international law (treaties, customs, UN Charter).

  • Promotes peaceful conflict resolution and strengthens multilateralism.

4. Limitations

  • Consent-based jurisdiction: Cannot hear cases without state consent.

  • No enforcement power: Relies on UNSC for implementation (e.g., Kulbhushan Jadhav case).

  • Political bias: Judge elections may reflect geopolitical influence.

  • Excludes non-state actors: Individuals/companies cannot approach ICJ.

5. India & ICJ

  • Indian Judges: B.N. Rau, Nagendra Singh, Dalveer Bhandari (current).

  • Notable Cases:

    • Kulbhushan Jadhav (2019): ICJ ruled Pakistan violated Vienna Convention.

    • Right of Passage (1955): Portugal vs. India – ICJ upheld India’s sovereignty over Goa.

UPSC Relevance

Mains (GS-II: International Relations)

  • Q: "The ICJ’s lack of enforcement power undermines its effectiveness." Critically analyze.

  • Q: Compare ICJ (interstate disputes) with ICC (individual criminal accountability).

 International Criminal Court (ICC)

1. Basic Facts

  • Established: 2002 (via Rome Statute, adopted in 1998, enforced from 1 July 2002).

  • Type: Only permanent international criminal tribunal.

  • Purpose: Prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.

  • Members: 125 countries (excludes USA, China, Russia, India, Israel).

2. Key Features

  • Complementary Jurisdiction: Acts only if national courts fail (subsidiarity principle).

  • Temporal Jurisdiction: Covers crimes committed after 1 July 2002.

  • Territorial Jurisdiction: Applies if either the crime location or accused’s nationality is from a member state.

3. Structure

  1. Judges: 18 judges (non-renewable 9-year term) across 3 divisions:

    • Pre-Trial, Trial, and Appeals.

  2. Presidency: 3 judges (President + 2 VPs) for administrative oversight.

  3. Office of the Prosecutor (OTP): Investigates and prosecutes cases.

  4. Registry: Provides administrative support.

4. Relationship with the UN

  • Not a UN body but cooperates via agreements.

  • UN Security Council (UNSC) can refer cases (e.g., Darfur, Libya).

5. Funding

  • Primary: Contributions from member states.

  • Secondary: Voluntary donations (governments, NGOs, individuals).

UPSC Relevance

Prelims 

  • Q: Which treaty established the ICC? → Ans: Rome Statute (1998).

  • Q: ICC’s jurisdiction excludes which countries? → Ans: USA, China, India, Russia.

Mains (GS-II: International Bodies & Issues)

  • Q: "The ICC faces challenges due to non-participation of major powers. Critically analyze its effectiveness."

  • Q: Compare ICC (prosecutes individuals) with ICJ (settles state disputes).



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