Postscript: international criminal justice futures

Abstract

The International Criminal Court (ICC) faced serious challenges in 2020, from threatened and actual state withdrawals from the Rome Statute, to the debate over concept of the ‘interests of justice’ and its role in the Afghanistan investigation. American antagonism to the Court under then-President Trump escalated to point that the US imposed a travel ban and asset freeze on ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and a member of her office in September 2020. ‘Efficiency’ encompasses the internal workings of the court, analysing quantitative data related to the administration of justice such as sitting time, time taken to issue decisions, etc. Analysis of these indicators can be used in improving the Court’s operations by guiding budget preparations, forecasting the timing of trials, and identifying areas of underperformance, as well as demonstrating the needs of the court. The ability of the security council to deal with climate impacts has been slower and less certain than the ability to deal with a pandemic.