A psychological approach to international criminal justice…

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has recently been at the center of fierce criticism about its ability to fulfil its role to investigate and prosecute the most heinous international crimes. In this project, we aim to help counter the criticisms by exploring an optimal decision-making model within the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP). After considering criminological and psychological literature, cultural aspects, and the legal framework in the context of international criminal law we have identified factors that hinder decision-making during the investigation phase. Specifically, we have attempted to map the role of bounded rationality and cognitive bias within the investigation phase and thereby address the first cause of decision error in dynamic decision-making environments. Our future plans to explore how data-driven statistical approaches can assist the development of a theoretical, evidence-based model of optimal decision-making will be discussed.