The International Criminal Court and Problems of State Sovereignty

Book excerpt: Scientific Essay from the year 2008 in the subject Law - Criminal process, Criminology, Law Enforcement, grade: 2:1, University of Leeds, course: Political Science, language: English, abstract: It is the argument of this dissertation that the International Criminal Court is an appropriate tool for the enforcement of international criminal law and embodies a shifting notion of state sovereignty. Historically, both multilateral and unilateral attempts to enforce international criminal law have been progressive but not wholly successful. The International Criminal Court is rooted in customary law and addresses the failures of past attempts. The Court's opposition has illustrated problems of state sovereignty, which in turn exemplifies how the International Criminal Court embodies a shifting notion of state sovereignty. The sources used are the existing academic literature, interviews, international statute, magazines, and newspaper articles.