High expectations but also a sense of mistrust and fear accompanied the foundation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2002. There was much debate about its relationships with member and non-member states, its investigations and trials and its political impact on violent conflicts and on their management by the international community. Caroline Fehl tracks and analyses the evolution of the political dynamics that have shaped the ICC’s work to date, focusing in particular on the time period after 2005. She identifies four key political problems the court has contended with since its foundation and considers whether they have deepened or lessened over time. Based on her analysis, she concludes with a series of policy recommendations.