The International Criminal Court and Problems of State Sovereignty

Abstract

International law has arguably existed since the dawn of recorded history as a body of codes and conducts that created custom and certainty in international relations. Treaties between Egypt and the Hittite Empire exist from the 13th century BC. In the sixth century BC, Herodotus described how the Carthagians and North African tribe used a method of ‘silent trading’ to trade goods and gold without the individual parties meeting. The article discusses the International criminal court as a court looking over the crimes committed by the individuals that are in violation of the international human rights. The article also throws light upon the concept of sovereignty enjoyed by the court which empowers it to try individuals belonging to any of the member nations on the question of human rights.