The Prosecutor’s Important Announcements; the Communication of Moral Authority at the International Criminal Court

Abstract

This article explores the specific identity that the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) at the International Criminal Court constructs and communicates to the outside world through its press releases. The mapping of the OTP’s essential claims about allegiances, the judicial mandate, and victims, highlights how the OTP imagines and manages its self-asserted moral authority. An in-depth case study of its framing of the turbulent developments in the cases against Kenyan officials shows how the OTP’s discourse is marked by a continuous repetition of goals and values while it simultaneously strategically shifts allegiances and externalizes failure in times of criticism.

Reforming the International Criminal Court (ICC): Progress, Perils and Pitfalls Post the ICC Review Process

“…After a lengthy process, Karim Khan, 113 a British barrister who headed up UNITAD (the Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da' esh/ISIL), 114 was appointed the ICC's new Chief Prosecutor at the beginning of 2021, for a nine-year term. Since the role of Chief Prosecutor is so vital to the ICC as a whole, 115 the long and extensive process it took to get him to this position should be seen as a boon rather than setback for the Court to ensure the right person was chosen. The Prosecutor has tremen-dous discretion.…”