Progress for Justice: Why a Second (and Third) Verdict Matters for the ICC

Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court has announced its decision to halt trial proceedings for Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui and Germain Katanga of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The judges are set to deliver their verdict on December 18. The two men, whose trials have taken place in a joint session, have been charged on 10 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Among these are rape, murder, sexual slavery, pillaging, directing attacks on civilians, and the use of child soldiers.

In March the ICC made history when it delivered its first verdict against Thomas Lubanga, convicting him for the enlistment and use of child soldiers in hostilities. But the next two verdicts will solidify the ICC's reputation as a court that brings results, and bring it one step closer to its founders' goal--to be a court of universal justice, one that not only punishes crimes, but deters them.

The next two verdicts, with the Lubanga case still fresh in the minds of the international community, will give pause to those who would commit atrocities. The verdicts will demonstrate that the court is not purely symbolic. Even without the support of the United States, the ICC can be a practical tool for maintaining peace and justice.