The International Criminal Court (ICC) sits in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the world's first permanent international criminal court and tries people, not countries, for the gravest crimes: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. It is a court of last resort that steps in only when national courts do not act.
Key facts
- Governed by a treaty adopted in 1998 and in force from 1 July 2002; it tries individuals, not states.
- Headquarters: The Hague, the Netherlands; working languages English and French.
- 125 countries are parties; the United States, China and Russia are among those outside it. (as of 23 Oct 2026)
- Crimes it can try: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.
- 17 July, the day the founding treaty was adopted, is World Day for International Justice.
Latest
The court won the European Parliament's 2026 Sakharov Prize (announced 22 October 2026); the 2026 Nobel Peace laureate Navi Pillay is a former ICC judge.
Why exams ask about it
Exams test its founding treaty, which countries stay outside it, and the ICC versus ICJ confusion.
Pakka yaad trick
Both sit in The Hague. ICJ (UN organ, 1946) judges states; ICC (treaty court, 2002) judges people. Last letter: C for Criminal, so Culprits; J for Justice between states.