Ankita Shanker

I have secured an internship in the Situation Analysis Section (SAS) of the Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division (JCCD). This section is responsible for carrying out all preliminary examination activities carried out by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC). This is of three core activities of the OTP (along with investigations and prosecutions).

 

The OTP seeks to contribute to the two overarching goals of the Rome Statute: the ending of impunity, and the prevention of crimes. In this pursuit, it investigates and prosecutes genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes that fall within the temporal and geographical jurisdiction of the court.

 

The preliminary examination is done to gather and analyse all information necessary to reach a fully-informed decision on whether there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation under the Rome Statute. The SAS reviews all Article 15 communications received by the OTP, after which it gathers information from various sources. It then advises on complex matters of fact and law regarding jurisdiction, admissibility (including complementarity and gravity), and the interests of justice, and finally submits recommendations to the Prosecutor on opening new investigations.