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How to read legal citations in the International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court identifies each document by a record number. The number begins with 'ICC-', then the situation (such as 01/04 for the Democratic Republic of the Congo), then the case, then the document's own number.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Style guide: ICC court record numbers. Every filing and decision at the ICC has a record number. The Court's own website, which keeps the Court Records, is the authority.

Real citations, decoded

Click or hover over any underlined piece to see what it means.

A trial judgment Case

, , , ()

  1. Case name Prosecutor v. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo
    ICC cases are named 'Prosecutor v.' and the accused. Lubanga was the first person convicted by the Court.
  2. Record number ICC-01/04-01/06-2842
    ICC- is the Court. 01/04 is the situation (the Democratic Republic of the Congo). 01/06 is the case within it. 2842 is the number of this document in the case record.
  3. Chamber Trial Chamber I
    The chamber that gave the decision.
  4. Document title Judgment pursuant to Article 74 of the Statute
    The official title. Article 74 of the Rome Statute is the provision on the trial judgment.
  5. Date 14 March 2012
    The date of the decision.

The written judgment was filed later than the day it was delivered, so check which date a particular style guide asks for.

Full citation: Prosecutor v. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, ICC-01/04-01/06-2842, Trial Chamber I, Judgment pursuant to Article 74 of the Statute (14 March 2012)

The Rome Statute Treaty

(adopted 17 July 1998, entered into force 1 July 2002) ,

  1. Treaty Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
    The treaty that created the Court.
  2. UN Treaty Series 2187 UNTS 3
    The treaty is registered with the UN: volume 2187, page 3.
  3. Article art 7
    Article 7 defines crimes against humanity.
Full citation: Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (adopted 17 July 1998, entered into force 1 July 2002) 2187 UNTS 3, art 7

Things to remember

  • The Rome Statute is the Court's founding treaty. It is cited by article, for example Rome Statute, art 7 (crimes against humanity).
  • Chambers are Pre-Trial, Trial and Appeals. A decision names its chamber.
  • Document titles at the ICC are long and exact. Use the title as written on the Court's record, in the English version.
  • In the record number, the first pair is a situation number and a year (01/04 is situation 01 of 2004), and the second pair is a case number and a year (01/06 is case 01 of 2006).

Where to find the text, free

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TheLawToKnow Tools’s citation guide is an educational overview of standard conventions. Courts and journals sometimes vary, so check the style guide before submitting or publishing. It is not legal advice. Report a mistake.