TEPSA has coordinated a briefing requested by DROI Subcommittee of the European Parliament. The briefing was authored by Cedric Ryngaert, Professor of Public International Law at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. The briefing is entitled “Towards an International Anti-Corruption Court?”
Momentum is building globally for the establishment of an International AntiCorruption Court, which would have jurisdiction over acts of grand corruption and fill the domestic accountability vacuum in kleptocratic regimes. Before such an institution can become reality, though, a number of practical, political and legal concerns will have to be addressed, for instance in relation to state ratification and cooperation. Hence, this Briefing identifies key issues which the European Parliament should assess and consider when forming its position. However, irrespective of its support for an International Anti-Corruption Court, the European Parliament may also want to strengthen other mechanisms enhancing legal accountability, such as existing international courts or extraterritorial jurisdiction. It may also continue to promote more indirect tools for advancing the fight against impunity such as anti-corruption clauses in trade agreements, targeted sanctions, and global asset recovery.