ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the self-referral of Mali indeed demonstrates that the government trusted that it would benefit from the involvement of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and that it sought international criminal procedures to boost its legitimacy while simultaneously delegitimising the various quasi-state entities that also vied for control over territory and statehood functions in Mali. To understand the impact of the ICC, it is useful to look at the Court's set-up and jurisdiction as well as its justifications, history and functioning. Besides the level of cooperation of member states and the UN, and the enforcement mechanisms the Court has at its disposal, the impact of the ICC depends on the jurisdiction of the Court and the admissibility of cases. One of the most significant characteristics of the ICC is that the Rome Statute foresaw a system complementary to national criminal jurisdictions.
