Politicizing the International Criminal Court

At last social theorists and scientists are taking the International Criminal Court seriously! To those who believe that the ICC can exist distinctly from politics, Steven Roach's insightful and provocative exploration of the Court's relationship to the political will be a wake-up call. That wake-up call, however, has little to do with the pessimism of realpolitik that so dominates the field; it is, instead, an appeal to invest the Court with the right sort of politics—a 'political legalism.' -- Frédéric Mégret, McGill University
Law and politics do not usually mix, but if global justice is to flourish, courts must make some compromises with the 'realpolitik.' This is an important study of an uncomfortable fact of international legal life. -- Justice Geoffrey Robertson QC
For IR scholars teaching the role of international legalism, Roach's book is very useful and well-pitched core reading. . . . For those seeking to develop a timely interest in the ICC it is both useful and accessible . . . Roach's book remains a valuable addition to our teaching and contextual research resources. * Political Studies Review, May 2009, Vol 7 No 2 *
Certain to frame discussion on the cosmopolitanism of the ICC . . . future researchers will thus want to build on the research of this book. * Perspectives on Politics *
Steven Roach poses the important question of what criteria or ends should guide the International Criminal Court when it exercises its potentially broad discretionary jurisdiction. In proposing an answer, he draws creatively on, and attempts in a genuinely interesting way, to marry theories of politics and of international relations. The result is a significant contribution to the theoretical literature on global governance and human rights. -- Tom J. Farer, University of Denver