After the entry into force of its Statute on 1st July 2002, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has started to work. The first Situations (Congo, Uganda, Central African Republic and Sudan) and Cases (Lubanga, Kony, Otti, Lukwiya, Odhiambo, Ongwen) are now pending before the Court. The first public decisions of the Court are dated July 2004. More than 230 public decisions were rendered by 31 December 2006.
The Annotated Digest of the International Criminal Court (2004-2006) is the first volume of an annual or biennial series, depending on the volume of decisions issued. It compiles a selection of the most significant legal findings contained in the public decisions rendered by the International Criminal Court since its first decisions in July 2004 until 31 December 2006. More than 230 decisions have been reviewed for the preparation of the present volume. The criteria for selection of the abstracts are:
1) abstracts which clarify a point of law, interpret a rule…;
2) abstracts which show how a specific rule is applied by a Chamber;
3) abstracts which are otherwise meaningful with respect to international justice, human rights, international humanitarian law.
The abstracts are quoted in their original language, namely English or French. An English translation of the French abstracts is given. The abstracts are inserted after the relevant articles of the Statute, Rules of Procedure and Evidence and Regulations of the Court, with a short description/summary of their precise topic. A quick reference system makes it easy to refer to other decisions quoted elsewhere in the Digest.
This Series of Digests is devised, first and foremost, as a tool for practitioners of international criminal law and academics, who will be able to immediately find the most relevant abstracts of ICC jurisprudence on each and every topic, thanks to the efficient quick reference system and index.
