The Rome Statute and Domestic Legal Orders

After the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and with the negotiations on the Rules of Procedure and Evidence and on the Elements of Crime drawing to their close the question of national implementing legislation becomes the matter of priority. Due to the complexity and the rather innovative character of the Rome Statute its implementation into the national legal orders poses a serious challenge to legislators.
This volume – edited by the Teramo Research Group, an international association of government officials and academics – deals with what are the two most burning issues for most States: the general strategy of implementation and the analysis of possible constitutional obstacles to ratification. Following an analysis of general character the book contains studies on the situation in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Liechtenstein, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and in the States of the South African Development Community. The contributions present the decision-making process at the national level and comment on them with the goal of stimulating the – in most cases still ongoing – debate.