For obvious reasons, I am not going to comment on the substance of the investigation or any of the recent media commentary on it. In this post, I simply want to address a narrow legal issue that is drawing attention on social media: what is the standard of proof that applies in disciplinary proceedings at the ICC? The answer is...
[Asuman Ece Yildiz is a PhD candidate at the University of Groningen] In today's world, conflicts frequently take the form of non-international armed conflicts involving a variety of non-state armed groups espousing ideologies. These groups often assert de facto control over territories for extended periods, spanning years and even decades. Such control necessitates the establishment of governance systems, bureaucracies, and, in...
[Kate McInnes and Elsa Wyllie practice international criminal law at Arendt Chambers] Bill 5776-2026, establishing a special tribunal for the perpetrators of the October 7 attacks on Israel (the “October 7 Court”), is rapidly advancing through the Knesset. The legislation’s earliest iterations presented the October 7 Court as a hybrid tribunal in all but name. What was proposed was a special judicial...
[Dr. Ellen Nohle is a senior legal advisor at IHL Centre] Trump’s second term in office has only augmented a set of concerns I raised in a monograph published following his first term (When Military Obedience and Restrictions on War Powers Collide: A Case for Reform, Edward Elgar, 2024). The bombing of nuclear sites in Iran in June 2025, ongoing lethal...
[Zsuzsanna Deen-Racsmány holds a Ph.D. in public international law from Leiden University. She is an independent researcher and has worked, inter alia, at Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam, and been a rapporteur for Oxford International Organizations.] In January 2026, the International Court of Justice (ICJ or Court) held public hearings on the merits in Application of the Convention on...
[Thairi Moya Sánchez (PhD) is a full-time professor of public international law at Complutense University of Madrid] Leer en español / A Spanish version of this post is available here. Over recent months, the Venezuela file has moved into an accelerated escalation: international airlines suspended or curtailed operations amid official safety advisories and mounting regional military risk; Washington announced coercive maritime...
[Maud Sarliève and Dr Pauline Martini are associate research fellows at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London] On 4 December 2025, the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) launched its groundbreaking Policy on Addressing Environmental Damage under the Rome Statute: severe environmental harm can now be prosecuted as an international crime. This document represents...
[Audrey Plan is a Research Engagement Specialist at University College Dublin, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin. She holds a PhD from Trinity College Dublin and specialises in sociolegal research of international courts.] Nuremberg (2025) is the latest attempt to put the first, and arguably most famous, International Criminal Law (ICL) trial on the silver screen. Released in November...
[Dr. Cyril Laucci is Lead Counsel for the Defense at the International Criminal Court] For the ICC, 2025 will have been the year of US sanctions. These sanctions took shape as early as February 6 with the signing of Executive Order 14203, “Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court”. This order placed Prosecutor Karim Khan at the top of a list...
[Quazi Omar Foysal is a Bangladeshi-qualified international lawyer, currently pursuing a PhD at La Trobe University, Australia] Though the International Court of Justice (ICJ or Court) has faced five proceedings related to the ICAO Council Decisions (one currently pending, three already decided, and one discontinued by the parties), the Flight MH17 case (Russia v. Australia and The Netherlands) should be treated...
[Ezequiel Jimenez has a PhD in international law (Middlesex University, United Kingdom), works at Amnesty International and is Senior Fellow at the Center for International Law Research and Policy. His forthcoming book about the history and practice of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute will be published on 18 December 2025.] The 125 States Parties to the Rome...
[Jens Iverson is an assistant professor of international law at Leiden University] The Trump Administration has sanctioned ICC high officials, UN officials, and human rights groups. There is concern this is not the end of the US bullying — without pushback, further sanctions against individuals, organizations, and the ICC itself may continue throughout President Trump’s term and beyond. States Parties face a...