On the Principle of Complementarity in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (the Rome Statute or the Statute) entered into force on 1 July 2002, with the satisfaction of Article 126 of the Statute. 1 Up until 24 September 2004, 139 States have signed the Statute and 97 States have become the Parties. Under such circumstances, China, as one of the permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations and a non-party State playing a great role in international affairs, needs to acquire a better understanding and also makes a detailed study on the Statute. One of the most unique characters of the International Criminal Court (the ICC or the Court)—as reflected in the principle of complentarity—will be discussed and analysed in the following essay.