THE SENTENCING SYSTEM IN THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT: STRUCTURE, STAGES, AND CHALLENGES

This study aims to analyze the sentencing system of the International Criminal Court (ICC), seeking to understand its stages, legal foundations, and challenges. Using a qualitative and descriptive approach, based on bibliographic and documentary research, documents from the Rome Statute, official reports, and the case study of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the first person convicted by the ICC, were examined. The study shows that the ICC represents a milestone in the consolidation of international criminal justice; however, it faces structural, political, and inter-state cooperation limitations that affect the effectiveness of convictions and the enforcement of sentence.