Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has taken a leave of absence due to a pending UN-led investigation on sexual misconduct. Khan’s office stated “he had informed colleagues he would step aside temporarily until the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) wraps up its probe.” The court’s two deputy prosecutors will carry out Khan’s responsibilities in his absence. According to Khan’s lawyer, he stepped aside due to social media scrutiny, making his job very difficult to complete. “Khan’s decision to step aside temporarily follows months of growing pressure from human rights groups and some court officials, who had urged him to withdraw while the investigation was ongoing.”
The UN is the closest thing that the world has to a world government. Furthermore, the ICC is the closest thing the world has to a world court. For a flaw in its system, such as an alleged crime conducted by a chief prosecutor, is quite severe. A system in which convicts leaders of war crimes, the prosecutor must be one that is professional and representative of the good in humanity.
The ICC convicts world leaders of crimes, such as crimes against humanity. The ICC sends criminals to the Hague, in which they are imprisoned. In order for this system to work, the Rome Statute, enables the ICC to carry out prosecution, that is of course, through a fair trial.