World Day for International Justice, Day of International Criminal Justice, and International Justice Day are celebrated annually on July 17 in an endeavour to recognise the international justice system. These events emphasise how international tribunals and courts have and continue to deliver justice to victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity. It also commemorates the global adoption of the Rome Statute and ensures that member states of the International Criminal Court live up to expectations.
The background of World Day for International Justice
The world has witnessed new boundaries, frontiers, and challenges over the centuries. Alliances were formed and dissolved. Wars erupted. People committed unspeakable acts against their male, female, and infant counterparts. The world recognised the importance of international justice.
From this necessity emerged the Nuremberg proceedings, which are regarded by many as a turning point in the establishment of a permanent international court. Following World War II, Nazi war criminals were brought to justice through a succession of 13 trials held in Nuremberg, Germany. The defendants were charged with crimes against peace and crimes against humanity. Among them were Nazi Party officials and high-ranking military officers, German industrialists, attorneys, and physicians. The Nuremberg trials were controversial at the time because it was one of the first instances anyone was prosecuted for crimes against humanity. The International Military Tribunal for the Far East, also known as the Tokyo Trial or the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, tried and convicted leaders of the Empire of Japan for joint conspiracy to start and wage war, conventional war crimes, and crimes against humanity around the same time.
The 17th of July, 1998, a diplomatic conference was held in Rome, Italy, in front of the United Nations to propose a treaty to prosecute those accused of severe international crimes. This treaty, which was adopted by 120 states as the Rome Statute, led to the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2002. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a permanent court that can investigate and prosecute individuals suspected of committing genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and (since 2018) the crime of aggression when national authorities are unable or reluctant to act effectively. However, the ICC cannot supplant national courts. At a Rome Statute Review Conference held in Kampala (Uganda) in 2010, the Assembly of State Parties resolved to celebrate June 17 as the World Day for International Justice, the date they adopted the treaty.
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5 Facts Concerning the International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court recognises six languages as its official languages: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian.
The ICC’s headquarters are located in The Hague, Netherlands.
Since its inception, 139 nations have signed the Court’s treaty, and approximately 80 have ratified it.
Since its inception, 200 trials for unspeakable crimes have been concluded by the ICC.
According to the ICC website, 35 arrest warrants have been issued and 17 individuals have been detained for their offences.
WORLD DAY FOR INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | July 17 | Monday |
| 2024 | July 17 | Wednesday |
| 2025 | July 17 | Thursday |
| 2026 | July 17 | Friday |
| 2027 | July 17 | Saturday |
