International Criminal Court

Introduction Paragraph 23 of the due diligence procedure adopted by the Assembly of States Parties in 2023 requires the Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM) to report on judicial candidates high moral character for elected office. Yet, for the election of six judges in New York this December, vetting did not take place in a timely manner.

The text below is a reproduction of Prof Dr Claus Kreß’ keynote address at the 2026 Nuremberg Forum, as delivered on 7 October at Court Room 600, Nuremberg. As readers of the blog know, we occasionally publish longer texts or lectures that we consider speak significantly to the moment. ‘If this be an innovation, it is…

The ICC removed a Prosecutor for misconduct. This December it elects six judges — after its own Advisory Committee reported that it could not complete the moral-character check the Rome Statute requires, and while the report that would complete it sits unseen by the States who vote.

As we swelter through late summer, a hardy few have retained a cool hold over their critical faculties. In the last two weeks, attention has turned chiefly to the ICC: from the in absentia convictions of members of the Rapid Support Forces, to the removal of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, and a decision recognising that a State Party…