The Role, Jurisdiction And Competence Of The International Criminal Court: A Panacea For Ensuring Global Peace And Security

The International Criminal Court came into existence following the coming together in July 1998, of 120 nations, who joined and signed the Rome Statute.1 The Rome Statute emphasizes the necessity of establishing the International Criminal Court in order to end impunity for those committing the ‘most serious crimes of concern to the international community’.2 The International Criminal Court has “jurisdiction ratione temporis”, that is, she may exert jurisdiction over crimes committed only after the Statute enters into force. Significantly, the Statute entered into force on July 1, 2002