The Sui Generis Trial Proceedings of the International Criminal Court

Abstract

It may be difficult to place trial proceedings of international criminal tribunals on the spectrum of classical trial paradigms even though common law and Romano-Germanic law differences are most obvious in that phase of a trial. It is important to understand the history, and compare the procedural underpinnings, of the different aspects of the International Criminal Court (ICC) trial proceedings. This article will highlight the sui generis nature of the ICC trial proceedings. In doing so, it will show how the two main legal systems of the world have been combined to create pertinent articles in the Rome Statute. This review makes clear that the drafters of the Rome Statute devised a procedure that will best assist the ICC in accomplishing its tasks as an international judicial body. The judges of the trial chamber, whether from a Romano-Germanic or common law background, will conduct proceedings and administer justice based on the combinations of the world's most influential legal systems.