Rubio takes swipe at international law, attacks ICC

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio critiqued the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention, accusing the tribunal of weaponizing international law as an instrument of the elite. Rubio expressed concerns over the court's authority to enforce rules that the United States does not recognize, warning the ICC against attempting to "quote laws to men with swords."

The remarks followed the US imposing sanctions on the ICC, aiming to weaken its operations. While the United States signed the Rome Statute establishing the ICC, it never ratified the treaty. The court prosecutes individuals accused of the most severe atrocities and serves as a last resort when countries lack sufficient legal systems to ensure accountability.

Rubio's speech, which received a standing ovation, marked his first major US address since the Republican Party's significant losses in midterm elections. He asserted that international law has been invoked in nearly every major foreign policy decision under the Trump administration, labeling it an instrument for advancing the interests of the global elite.

Rubio accused the ICC of being accountable to no one, possessing the power to investigate, prosecute, persecute, and jail citizens without consent or control from the countries involved. He challenged the court to stop trying to enforce its "paper decrees" on Americans, comparing them to those who tried to invoke their city's charters against Roman legions.