World Day for International Justice: Theme, Quotes, Objectives

World Day for International Justice is observed every year on 17 July. This day marks the adoption anniversary of the Rome Statute. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court was adopted in the year 1998.  The Rome Statute is a multilateral treaty among states. This treaty led to the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC).  The World Day for International Justice was observed for the first time in the year 2010.

Quick Facts

• Date of Observance: 17 July
• Other Names:  International Criminal Justice Day or International Justice Day
• Objective: To acknowledge the emerging international criminal justice system.
• Significance: Marks anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute.
• First Observance: 17 July 2010

History

A conference was held in Kampala (Uganda) in the year 2010 to review the Rome Statute. It was during this review conference that a decision was taken to observe 17 July as the World Day for International Justice.

Objective & Importance

The purpose behind observance of World Day for International Justice is to promote victim rights and show global support to the international criminal justice system. The day unites all the supporters of justice across the world in order to showcase the solidarity. It also provides an opportunity for the global community to acknowledge the steps taken in ending impunity for the worst crimes in international law.

What is the Rome Statute?

As mentioned above, the Rome Statute is a treaty that led to the establishment of the International Criminal Court. The treaty was adopted on 17 July 1998 and it came into force approximately four years later, on 01 July 2002. As of July 2020, 123 nations are party to the Rome Statute. Kiribati is the latest nation to join the list. Kiribati became an ICC member on 01 February 2020. The Rome Statute is a result of years of negotiation and effort to establish an international tribunal to deal with international crimes.

The establishment of four core international crimes had been one of the key contributions of the Rome Statute. These core crimes are:

• War Crimes
• Crime of Aggression
• Crimes Against Humanity
• Genocide

International Criminal Court (ICC) derives its functional and jurisdictional powers from the statute. Under the statute, only investigation and prosecution could be taken up by the ICC.

International Criminal Court

International Criminal Court is an international tribunal empowered to prosecute individuals involved in core international crimes under the Rome Statute. The ICC’s headquarter is in Hague (Netherlands).

There are four main organs of the ICC:

• The Presidency
• The Registry
• The Judicial Divisions
• The Office of the Prosecutor

The International Criminal Court complements the national judicial system of states that are party to the Rome Statute. ICC only comes into picture when a country could not or would not proceed with the accused of international crimes under its jurisdiction. An Assembly constituted by the States which are parties to the Rome Statute, governs the ICC.

Some Famous Quotes on Justice

Peace will not come out of a clash of arms but out of justice lived and done by unarmed nations in the face of odds. — Mahatma Gandhi

Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. — Nelson Mandela

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. — Martin Luther King Jr.

It’s every man’s business to see justice done. — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are. — Benjamin Franklin

Justice is happiness according to virtue. — John Rawls

At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst. — Aristotle

If we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us. — Francis Bacon

Justice without force is powerless; force without justice is tyrannical. — Blaise Pascal

Absolute freedom mocks at justice. Absolute justice denies freedom. To be fruitful, the two ideas must find their limits in each other. — Albert Camus