Symbolic Gestures and the Generation of Global Social Control The International Criminal Court

The recently established International Criminal Court (ICC) has been touted as a major breakthrough in the potential control of genocide, terrorism, and war crimes. This book explores the historical origins of the court and provides and examination of the basic structure and functioning of the court. Rothe and Mullins offer a detailed critique of procedural, conceptual, and practical elements of the ICC through the lens of critical criminological theory and research and identify several problems with the design and proposed implementation of the ICC. The theoretical analysis employed shows how the Court is but a small step forward in the control of crimes by states and state leaders due to its limited scope., myopic conception of crime, jurisdictional scope, and minimal compulsory power. Certain to appeal to criminology and international studies scholars, this volume strives to outline suggestions for strengthening the court.

Christopher W. Mullins is Assistant Professor of Criminology at the University of Northern Iowa. Dawn Rothe is Assistant Professor of Criminology at the University of Northern Iowa.