Ratification of ICC delayed

Ratification of ICC delayed

JAKARTA: The government has decided not to rush into ratifying
a convention on the International Criminal Court, which was
scheduled for enactment within the next two years, for fear of
prejudicing the country's sovereignty.

Ministry of Justice and Human Rights director general of law
administration Romli Atmasasmita said on Wednesday that the
government would first study the implications of joining the
agreement while, at the same time, upgrading the law.

"Our law is inadequate to prosecute those accused of genocide,
crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression. Without
effective law, we could do nothing but let the International
Criminal Court take over the cases," he said, after a two-day
workshop on the court.

At least 160 countries have agreed to adopt an international
agreement known as the Rome Statute for the establishment of the
International Criminal Court, which will be applicable once it is
ratified by 60 countries.

As of Oct. 12, 42 countries had ratified the Statute and
another one had acceded to it, while another 97 countries had
signed it.

Romli said the government would hasten to improve the law,
including the production of legal procedures for the human rights
tribunal to support Law No. 26/2000 on human rights.

"Therefore, we have to be quick. Ratifying the statute is not
mandatory because we could hold such a trial if we already had
strong law. But once the Court has come into operation, we would
be obliged to comply with its rules, even though we had not yet
ratified the Statute," he added. --JP