Why in News? 

The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced a targeted and sophisticated cybersecurity breach detected last week, raising concerns about the digital safety of sensitive international legal data and highlighting the need for stronger cyber protections. 

About International Criminal Court (ICC) 

• It is the only permanent international criminal court. 
• Acts as a court of last resort and steps in when national courts can’t or won’t act. 
• The ICC deals with serious crimes such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. 
• Established: 1 July 2002 through the Rome Statute (adopted on 17 July 1998). 
• Headquarter: Located in The Hague, Netherlands. 
• Members: 125 member countries. 
• India, China, USA, Russia and Israel are not members. 

Jurisdiction of ICC 

• ICC deals with genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. 
• It acts only on crimes committed after 1 July 2002. 
• It has jurisdiction if 
  • The crime involves a State Party or a state that accepts ICC’s jurisdiction. 
  • UN Security Council refers to the case (even against non-members since 17 July 2018). 
• ICC is not part of the UN but works with it. 
• It steps in only when national courts fail to act.

How is ICC Different from ICJ?

• ICJ is part of the United Nations, while ICC is an independent body with a cooperation agreement with the UN. 
• ICJ deals with disputes between countries, whereas ICC prosecutes individuals for crimes like genocide and war crimes. 
• ICJ was established in 1945, ICC in 2002; both are located in The Hague, Netherlands. 

India and the ICJ 

• India did not sign the Rome Statute and is not a member of the ICC due to the following reasons, 
  • Concerns over state sovereignty 
  • Protection of national interests 
  • Challenges in gathering reliable evidence 
  • Issues in appointing unbiased prosecutors 
  • Ambiguity in defining crimes under ICC jurisdiction