International Digital Forensic Investigation at the ICC

Abstract

The International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “the Court”) investigates and tries individuals charged with crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. With regard to digital forensic investigations, the ICC has been confronted with various challenges especially derived from the nature of the crimes it handles and the fact that its procedure is distinct from national criminal procedure. This paper provides an introduction to the activities and challenges of digital forensics in international criminal investigations, and draws attention to requirements for more international cooperation, awareness improvement, standard establishment and the need for a joint effort at solving technical issues.