An Introduction to the International Criminal Court

William A. Schabas OC MRIA is Professor of Human Rights Law at the National University of Ireland, Galway and Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights. His numerous publications include Genocide in International Law (2000), The Abolition of the Death Penalty in International Law, 3rd edition (2002), The United Nations International Criminal Tribunals, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone (2006) and The International Criminal Court: A Commentary on the Rome Statute (2010). He is editor-in-chief of Criminal Law Forum, and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights.

1. Creation of the Court; 2. The Court becomes operational; 3. Jurisdiction; 4. Triggering the jurisdiction; 5. Admissibility; 6. General principles of criminal law; 7. Investigation and pre-trial procedure; 8. Trial and appeal; 9. Punishment; 10. Victims of crimes and their concerns; 11. Structure and administration of the Court; Appendix 1. Rome statute; Appendix 2. States parties and signatories; Appendix 3. Declarations and reservations; Appendix 4. Objections.