The legitimacy of the International Criminal Court is often contested, scholars and practitioners pointing out its ineffectiveness, politicisation and questionable judicial performance. However,...Show moreThe legitimacy of the International Criminal Court is often contested, scholars and practitioners pointing out its ineffectiveness, politicisation and questionable judicial performance. However, attempts to assess the legitimacy of the Court do not provide sufficient resources for a comprehensive and definitive assessment. Such assessment could help shift the discourse from merely questioning the Court’s legitimacy to proposing solutions to improve its legitimacy. This thesis explores a wide definition of legitimacy, going beyond the delegation of authority and employing additional criteria including integrity, comparative benefit, and effectiveness, to assess whether the ICC passes the binary legitimacy test and can be rendered legitimate. Both normative and sociological considerations are taken into account. It is argued that the mandate of the Court highlights its unique place in the field of international criminal justice and forms the foundational basis for its legitimacy.Show less
