Approval of treaty triggers international crime court

HUMAN RIGHTS: 60th ratification comes within four years

The International Criminal Court (ICC) will come into being on 1 July after the treaty that creates it receives its 60th ratification this week.

A United Nations ceremony in New York this week will mark the deposit of the 60th ratification of the ICC's Rome Statute, triggering the treaty's entry into force and establishing the court's jurisdiction to try individuals for violations of international human rights law.

At present 56 states, including the UK, have ratified the statute and it is expected that the number will pass 60 this week, with Greece, Ireland, Bulgaria, Romania, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo all expected to sign up.

The ICC will be located in The Hague.

Law Society President David McIntosh said that despite the court not having retrospective powers to prosecute previous breaches of human rights law, it will act as a future deterrent.

'This court will make a difference, as for the first time individuals will be held criminally responsible for crimes against humanity,' he said.

'It will complement existing national judicial systems and will be able to prosecute where states are unwilling or unable to do so.'

Tim Hancock, parliamentary officer at Amnesty International, said: 'Essentially, this is what the UN Secretary-General has described as one of the most important developments in international law.

It is a major event in world history and we are very pleased about it.'

It was originally expected that the treaty - adopted on 17 July 1998 - would take decades to ratify, but instead it has received enough support to achieve this within four years.

Andrew Towler