Participation of victims in pre-trial proceedings of the ICC

Victims' participation is usually celebrated as one of the major innovations of the International Criminal Court (ICC) system. It has been regulated in great detail by the drafters of the Rome Statute and the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the ICC in relation to trial proceedings. However, few thoughts have been devoted to the question of how victims' issues are dealt with before the commencement of the trial. This contribution seeks to close this gap. It argues that victims have a role to play in the ICC process from the very beginning of proceedings. Moreover, it seeks to clarify how some of the participatory rights of victims may be addressed in practice.