Admissibility Assessment: Complementarity
The legal principle of “complementarity” means the ICC only “complements” other courts that have jurisdiction over the alleged crimes. This principle makes the ICC a “court of last resort”. The OTP must determine if another court is “genuinely able and willing” to investigate and potentially prosecute the case, or already has. If another court is or has investigated and/or prosecuted the alleged crimes, the case cannot move forward at the ICC.