Elements of aggravation in ICC sentencing: victim centred perspectives

The article examines whether the ICC’s jurisprudence on sentencing subverts or adopts a victim-oriented justice and whether the Chambers’ discourses are consistent with the Rome Statute’s legislative history. It argues that this legislative history is an instructive reflection of the drafters’ goals regarding victims’ rights and justice. A doctrinal review of the court’s Preparatory Works and sentencing jurisprudence reveals a potential for a victim-oriented approach to justice. This article thus advances a theory of justice for victims during the court’s sentencing practice. Ultimately, it has implications for our understanding of substantive rights of victims, beyond the procedural notions of international criminal justice.