The International Criminal Court prosecutes four core crimes and complements national courts
Background
Standing background to separate the ICC from the ICJ. The ICC has its permanent premises in The Hague, Netherlands. The Rome Statute gives it four main crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. It acts on the principle of complementarity: it is meant to complement, not to replace, national criminal systems, and prosecutes only when States are unwilling or unable to do so genuinely. The ICJ, by contrast, settles disputes between States.
Core crimes:
four
Governing treaty:
Rome Statute
Seat:
The Hague, Netherlands
Why it matters for exams: Examiners often ask which court handles which kind of case, so the ICC's crimes and complementarity matter.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Complementarity Complement, not replace, national courts — The ICC prosecutes only when States are unwilling or unable to do so genuinely.