Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

Principles and Procedural Standards Governing Preliminary Examinations before the International Criminal Court

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Sina Gomar 1
Seyed Alireza Mirkamali 2
Zeynab Riazat 3
Javad Tahmasebi 3
1 PhD in Criminal Law and Criminology, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/jclc.2025.484621.2071
Abstract
The primary mission of the International Criminal Court is the vindication of international criminal justice through combating impunity for perpetrators of the gravest international crimes. In furtherance of this mandate, the Rome Statute entrusts the Prosecutor with responsibility for conducting preliminary examinations and initiating investigations. This study seeks to identify and critically analyze the principles and procedural standards governing the preliminary examination regime on the basis of the Rome Statute, policy papers, the practice of the Office of the Prosecutor, and other relevant legal materials. The study addresses the following question: what normative principles and procedural standards govern preliminary examinations in proceedings before the International Criminal Court? Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach and drawing upon library-based sources, the study concludes that, prior to the commencement of an investigation, the Prosecutor must establish, at the stage of initial assessment, the existence of a reasonable basis to proceed. In this regard, the first governing criterion consists in satisfying the requirements associated with that threshold determination, namely jurisdiction, admissibility, and the interests of justice. The study further demonstrates that, once such a threshold has been satisfied, the Prosecutor is required to obtain authorization from the Pre-Trial Chamber before formally initiating an investigation and must thereafter conduct and conclude the investigative process under the Chamber’s judicial supervision. Throughout all phases of the proceedings, the Prosecutor and the Office of the Prosecutor are bound by the principles of independence, impartiality, objectivity, transparency, and fully informed prosecutorial assessment in the exercise of their functions.
Keywords
International Criminal Court
Prosecutor
Pre-Trial Chamber
Principles of Preliminary Examinations
Standards Governing Preliminary Examinations
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Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology
Volume 14, Issue 28
Spring 2026
Pages 45-73