Public Law Studies Quarterly

The Feasibility of the International Criminal Court's Investigation into ‎the Situation in Palestine and Its Potential Consequences

Document Type : Article

Authors

Jalal Bahreini 1
Mohammadhosein Ramezani Ghavamabadi 2

1 Ph.D. Student in International Law, Faculty of law, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Prof., Department of environmental Law, Faculty of law, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22059/jplsq.2023.346749.3152
Abstract
The International Criminal Court symbolizes the realization of a long-held human aspiration which was aimed at preventing the recurrence of the atrocities of the world wars through the prosecution and punishment of perpetrators of severe international crimes. One of the fundamental and enduring principles of international law—the requirement of the expressed will of the state in its commitment to an international obligation—has limited the global applicability of the Rome Statute. To partially address this issue, the question of prosecuting crimes committed by nationals of non-member states on the territory of member states has been raised. From the outset, the opposition of some states to the prosecution of nationals of non-member states has posed challenges to the effectiveness and functioning of the ICC. With Palestine's membership in the court and its complaint against Israeli officials, this challenge has intensified. This paper examines the legal status of Palestine's membership in the court and the possibility of prosecuting Israeli officials. It also evaluates the latest status of the case brought before the ICC and examines the potential counteractions of Israel and the intervention of the Security Council. Ultimately, the findings of the paper indicate that the court's jurisdiction over Israeli nationals is more consistent with the principles and objectives of the court's establishment, which are the enforcement of justice and the fight against impunity, and that the court has no prohibition against commencing proceedings in the said case.

Keywords

international crimes
‎international criminal ‎court
non state party
‎security council
palestine.‎
Subjects

  1. English

    1. A) Book
    2. Schabas William (2011). An introduction to the International Criminal Court. 4th edn. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

     

    1. B) Articles
    2. Ash, R. (2009). Is Palestine a ‘state’? A response to Professor John Quigley’s article ‘The Palestine declaration to the International Criminal Court: the statehood issue’. Rutgers Law Records, 36, 186–201.
    3. Benoliel, D., & Perry, R. (2010). Israel Palestine and the ICC. Michigan Journal of International Law, 32. 73-127.
    4. Boyle Francis A. (1990). The Creation of the State of Palestine. European Journal of International Law, 1, 301-306.
    5. Cameron I (2004). Jurisdiction and admissibility issues under the ICC statute. In: McGoldrick, D., Rowe, P., & Donnelly, E. (2004). The permanent International Criminal Court: Legal and policy issues. Hart Publishing, Oxford.
    6. Mendes, Errol. Statehood and Palestine for the Purposes of Article 12(3) of the ICC Statute. 1-50, https://www.icc-cpi.int/NR/rdonlyres/D3C77FA6-9DEE-45B1ACC0B 41706BB41E5/281876/OTPErrolMendesNewSTATEHOODANDPAESTINEFORTHEPURPOS.pdf
    7. Morris, M. (2000). The Jurisdiction of International Criminal Court Over Nationals of Non-party States. Journal of International & Comparative Law, 6, 363-369.
    8. Quigley, J. (2009). The Palestine Declaration to International Criminal Court: The Statehood Issue. Rutgers Law Record, 35, 1-11.

     

    1. C) Cases
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    3. ICJ, Barcelona traction case, 1970.
    4. Situation in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, 2011.

     

    1. D) Documents
    2. Arab League Council Decisions, Sixty-Sixth Session, 6-9 September 1976.
    3. Draft Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts 200[1].
    4. General Assembly Resolution 19/67, 2012.
    5. General Assembly Resolution 3236, 1974.
    6. General Assembly Resolution 3237, 1974.
    7. General Assembly Resolution 43/177, 1974.
    8. General Assembly Resolution 52/250,7, 1998.
    9. ICC, Elements of Crimes, 2002, ICC-ASP/1/3 part II.B.
    10. ICC, Press release: The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, opens a preliminary examination of the situation in Palestine, 16 January 2015, ICC-OTP-20150116-PR1083.
    11. Office of the Prosecuter, Report on Preliminary Examination Activities, ICC, 2015.
    12. Office of the Prosecuter, Report on Preliminary Examination Activities, ICC, 2017.
    13. Office of the Prosecuter, Report on Preliminary Examination Activities, ICC, 2018.
    14. OTP, Situation in Palestine, 3 April 2012.
    15. Rome Statute (ICC) 1998.
    16. Security Council Resolution 1397, 2002.
    17. Security Council Resolution 1422, 2002.
    18. Security Council Resolution 1515, 2003.
    19. UN charter, 1946.
    20. Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1988.

     

    Referances in Persian:

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    1. B) Articles
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    1. C) Websites
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    8. http://mehrnews.com/news/2533450 (2021/12/09) (In Persian).
    9. http://www.icc-cpi.int/palestine (2021/11/28) (In Persian).
Public Law Studies Quarterly
Volume 54, Issue 4
Winter 2025
Autumn 2024
Pages 2153-2176

  • Receive Date 05 August 2022
  • Accept Date 30 January 2023

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