THE ROLE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT IN ENSURING THE INEVITABILITY OF PUNISHMENT FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
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Keywords

International Criminal Court
crimes against humanity
inevitability of punishment
international criminal justice
principle of complementarity
criminal law policy
procedural guarantees

How to Cite

Okhman, O., Leshchenko, S., & Remenyak, O. (2026). THE ROLE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT IN ENSURING THE INEVITABILITY OF PUNISHMENT FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. Social Development: Economic and Legal Issues, (15). https://doi.org/10.70651/3083-6018/2026.3.17

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the role of the International Criminal Court in ensuring the inevitability of punishment for crimes against humanity. The mechanisms for implementing the principle of complementarity, procedural guarantees for victims and the effectiveness of judicial strategies in combating mass violations of human rights are investigated. The purpose of the study is to identify the main factors affecting the ability of the ICC to guarantee the prosecution of those guilty of crimes against humanity, as well as to outline the problematic aspects of the court’s jurisdiction. The study used methods of comparative analysis of international legal norms, a systematic approach to studying the jurisprudence of the ICC, analysis of empirical data on the effectiveness of indictments and statistical analysis of court decisions. The materials included ICC decisions, UN Security Council resolutions, and scientific publications of leading researchers of international criminal law. The results of the study show that the ICC plays a critical role in shaping global standards of criminal law policy, providing procedural guarantees to victims and creating a legal mechanism for holding accountable the most serious international crimes. It is established that the principle of complementarity allows for a balance between national sovereignty and international jurisdiction, while at the same time revealing the limitations of the court in cases of lack of cooperation of states. It is studied that the ICC indictments have a deterrent effect on war crimes, although this effect varies depending on the geopolitical context. It is determined that the expansion of the court’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression and the introduction of innovative approaches to the qualification of crimes contribute to the strengthening of international criminal justice.

https://doi.org/10.70651/3083-6018/2026.3.17
PDF (Українська)

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Copyright (c) 2026 Olha Okhman, Serhii Leshchenko, Olesya Remenyak