As part of the “Study in Iraq” initiative launched by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the College of Law at Al-Nahrain University discussed a Master’s thesis entitled “Procedural Mechanisms for the International Criminal Court to Exercise Its Jurisdiction”, submitted by Jaafar Fayez Abu Nizam, a student from the Syrian Arab Republic, at the Department of Public Law.
The study aims to explain the legal procedures followed by the International Criminal Court in examining cases, by outlining the stages of criminal proceedings, beginning with the investigation and concluding with the issuance of the final judgment. It also examines the roles and jurisdictions of the Court’s various organs, highlights mechanisms for protecting victims and witnesses, and reviews the main obstacles and challenges facing the Court’s work. Furthermore, the study explores the Court’s role in achieving international criminal justice and combating impunity, concluding with proposals aimed at improving its performance and enhancing its effectiveness.
Significance of the Study
The significance of this study stems from the legal and judicial standing of the International Criminal Court as the first permanent international criminal judicial body established to prosecute individuals responsible for committing major international crimes, following the establishment of temporary international criminal tribunals, such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
The study highlights the procedural and legal framework governing the Court’s operations and assesses the effectiveness of these procedures in establishing international criminal justice and holding perpetrators of serious crimes accountable. Its importance is further underscored by the increasing number of armed conflicts and mass atrocities, which necessitate strengthening international accountability mechanisms, protecting victims’ rights, and ensuring that such crimes are not repeated.
The Examination Committee consisted of:
- Prof. Dr. Maha Mohammed Ayoub – Chairperson.
- Assist. Prof. Dr. Hawraa Qasim Ghanim – Member.
- Assist. Prof. Dr. Hassan Sadiq Abboud – Member.
- Assist. Prof. Dr. Ayat Mohammed Saud – Supervisor.
Following an extensive academic discussion, the committee decided to approve the thesis subject to the completion of the required amendments and recommended awarding the student a Master’s degree in Public Law.

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