The President of the International Criminal Court, ICC, Dr. Chile Eboe-Osuji has dispelled the long-held view that the ICC is only targeted at African leaders.
He said the jurisdiction of the ICC is only complementary and it acts after domestic courts have failed to administer justice.
Speaking at the inaugural annual Public lecture by the GIMPA Faculty of Law, President of the Global Court encouraged lawyers and student lawyers to take interest in international criminal justice to make the world a better place.
President Akufo-Addo expressed Ghana’s commitment to the ideals of the court.
The International Criminal Justice is a field of international law that calls for the prosecution of the planners and organisers of the gravest war crimes and human rights abuses. In 1998 the Rome Statute was adopted establishing the International Criminal Court, ICC in Hague, the Netherlands.
The Global Court deals with issues of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression.
Today a number of countries are yet to ratify the Rome Statute to expand the jurisdiction of the Court.
The President of ICC, Dr. Chile Eboe-Osuji encouraged more countries to ratify the Rome Statute in order to make Court truly universal. He called on Ghana to help to make more countries ratify the Rome Statute.
He noted that though there have been challenges like Inadequate cooperation by states, the ICC has done much to be proud of. On the issue of African leaders being targeted by the ICC, Dr. Eboe – Osuji said the Court has only complementary jurisdiction and act after the state has failed to deal with crimes against humanity.
President Akufo-Addo said Ghana remains committed to its obligations under the Rome Statute and the work of the ICC.
The GIMPA African Centre of International Criminal Justice aims to center the ongoing discourse on Africa’s role in the work of the ICC.
The Centre hopes to formalise the network of participants as well as International Criminal Law scholars from all over the world to sustain the conversation as a focal point for ongoing research, scholarship and training on ICC issues across the continent.
