ICC adds land grabs, environment to remit

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has widened its remit from a focus on war crimes to include land grabs and environmental destruction. Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on 14 September published a policy paper setting out how the Office of the Prosecutor exercises its discretion in the selection and prioritisation of cases. The Rome Statute establishing the ICC stated four core international crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, and states that its aim is to combat impunity and prevent the recurrence of violence, in conjunction with national jurisdictions.