Contents
Part I The establishment of the ICC
1. The dynamics of the Rome Conference
2. The Rome Conference: institutional design and the constraints of diplomacy
Part II Interpreting and applying the Rome statues
3. Contestation and inevitability in the crimes of the international criminal court
4. Admissibility as a theory of international criminal law
5. Heads of state and other government officials before the International Criminal Court: the uneasy revolution continues
6. Penalties and punishment
7. Can the ICC function without state compliance?
Part III ICC in action
8. Taking the opportunity: prosecutorial opportunism and the International Criminal Court
9. Judges, the registry, and defence counsel
10. The assembly of States Parties
11. Africa, the court, and the council
Part IV Major controveries
12. Peace and justice
13. Re-narrating selectivity
14. Human rights compliance
15. Re-writing sex and gender in international criminal law
16. Mission uncertain: what communities does the ICC serve?

This comprehensive Companion examines the achievements and challenges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the world’s first permanent international criminal tribunal. It provides an overview of the first two decades of the ICC’s existence, investigating the dominant narratives and counter-narratives that have emerged about the institution and its work.

In this timely work, an international team of scholars and experts evaluate the ICC’s actual and potential role in the world by exploring some of the central issues related to its creation, mandate, and operations. Chapters address topics ranging from the negotiation dynamics surrounding the drafting of the Rome Statute, to the roles of the Office of the Prosecutor, judges, defence and victims, as well as key controversies around peace and justice, selectivity of cases and situations, and gender-sensitivity.

This Companion is critical reading for scholars, students and practitioners of international criminal law. Its mixture of theoretical perspectives and case study analysis will also be of interest to those studying and working in global justice and international law more broadly, including in transitional justice, human rights law, public international law and international relations.