Cambridge University Press Building the International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first and only standing international court capable of prosecuting humanity's worst crimes: genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. It faces huge obstacles. It has no police force; it pursues investigations in areas of tremendous turmoil, conflict, and death; it is charged both with trying suspects and with aiding their victims; and it seeks to combine divergent legal traditions in an entirely new international legal mechanism. International law advocates sought to establish a standing international criminal court for more than 150 years. Other, temporary, single-purpose criminal tribunals, truth commissions, and special courts have come and gone, but the ICC is the only permanent inheritor of the Nuremberg legacy. In Building the International Criminal Court, Oberlin College Professor of Politics Ben Schiff analyzes the International Criminal Court, melding historical perspective, international relations theories, and observers' insights to explain the Court's origins, creation, innovations, dynamics, and operational challenges. Review “Building the International Criminal Court is a work of great significance and an essential tool for understanding the ICC. Schiff's book is also very timely; exactly ten years after the signing of the Rome Statute, the ICC is now in full operation, but its every move is still formative and carries lasting implications for its future. While the Court stands as a symbol of progress for humanity, it is also the target of criticism from skeptics who argue that the highly politicized institution remains plagued by inefficiency and institutional deficiencies. Schiff’s presentation of the Court and its beginnings allows the reader to evaluate these criticisms against an informed and comprehensive picture of the institution and its functions. From the outset, Schiff himself is explicit about his concerns that the practical limitations and political nature of the Court present potentially insurmountable challenges. But he also demonstrates the importance of the Court’s work and gives many reasons to be optimistic about the Court's potential. Without advocating for a specific viewpoint, Schiff balances optimism and realism in a way that allows the reader to form his or her own conclusions about the potential and the limitations of the ICC.” Beatrice Lindstrom, New York University Journal of Law and Politics“Drawing from multiple strands of international relations theory, Benjamin Schiff examines the creation and operation of the International Criminal Court. He takes a hard look at the political past and future of this new international organization. This important book covers extensive ground and is essential reading for a public concerned - as it should be - with the interplay between law, politics, tragedy, and justice. It is only by studying the International Criminal Court that its work can be improved. By illuminating the path forward, Schiff has done us all a tremendous service.” -Mark A. Drumbl, Washington and Lee University“An insightful study of an unprecedented international institution. Ben Schiff, in a clear and flowing analysis, blends history, law and political science into a work of lasting significance.” -M. Cherif Bassiouni, DePaul University“A superb systematic examination of the International Criminal Court - the ‘streams’ of ideas and actions that shaped it, the challenges of building a new, functioning organization; the handling of the first four situations referred to it; and the ongoing tensions between peace and justice and political and judicial choices it faces. Given its scope, Benjamin Schiff's book is invaluable for both scholars and practitioners; its clear prose also makes it an excellent choice for graduate and upper-level courses in human rights, international law, and international organization.” -Margaret P. Karns, University of Dayton“The tensions in the establishment and oper