Adopt blocking statute for ICC
Petitioners ask Canada to condemn U.S. sanctions on the ICC, adopt an EU-style blocking statute, reaffirm Rome Statute support, and execute ICC arrest warrants. The government responds that Canada has condemned the measures, has a blocking law, and will consider cooperation requests under Canadian law.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would protect the ICC, its staff and witnesses and strengthen efforts to prevent impunity for the gravest international crimes by showing concrete state backing.
- An EU-style blocking statute would limit the extraterritorial reach of U.S. sanctions and help shield Canadian persons and partners from foreign legal effects.
- Executing ICC arrest warrants would affirm Canada’s obligations under the Rome Statute and advance accountability for alleged international crimes.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Opposing U.S. measures or adopting blocking legislation could harm Canada–U.S. relations and complicate cooperation on shared security or diplomatic priorities.
- Blocking statutes and requests to execute warrants face legal and procedural limits, so desired protections or arrests may be delayed, blocked or litigated domestically.
- Attempting to enforce high‑profile ICC arrest warrants may pose major operational challenges, raise security risks and provoke diplomatic escalation.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada The President of the United States signed an executive order imposing a broad sanctions regime on the International Criminal Court (ICC), its officials, its staff and their families, and anyone who cooperates with it; This order attacks an institution that is the last international bastion for ending impunity for the gravest of crimes, such as mass atrocities, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide; and The threat against the ICC and potentially witnesses, staff, judges, prosecutors and their substitutes, lawyers, victims and members of civil society is of unprecedented scope. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to 1. Publicly condemn the order made by the United States on February 6, 2025, by promptly issuing a statement of support for the Court and its staff, and denounce any flagrant attack on the international justice system; 2. Pass a blocking statute akin to those already passed by the Council of the European Union to protect against the international application of legislation passed by a third country; 3. Continuously disseminate among Canadians, signatories of the Rome Statute and Canada’s other partners, including the United States administration, a message of unwavering support for the Rome Statute and the ICC; and 4. Fully cooperate with the ICC, including by executing all currently valid ICC arrest warrants, such as those for Omar al-Bashir, Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Signed by Rob Oliphant Canada values the important role of the International Criminal Court in investigating and prosecuting the most serious international crimes. Canada has consistently supported the International Criminal Court as a key pillar of the international rules-based order and an essential mechanism in the fight against impunity. That’s why Canada was instrumental in its inception, and was among the first countries to ratify and the first to implement the Rome Statute into its own legal framework. Canada will always strongly respect the independence, impartiality, and integrity of the International Criminal Court. On February 7, 2025, Canada, along with 78 other States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, expressed its concern with measures sanctioning the Court and its officials in a Joint Statement. The statement noted that such measures “increase the risk of impunity for the most serious crimes and threaten to erode the international rule of law, which is crucial for promoting global order and security.” On July 7, 2025, Canada raised its concerns with sanctions and other threats against the Court in its national statement at the Special session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and said that “the support of each and every State Party is of paramount importance during this time of continued threats to the Court.” Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister raised the issue of sanctions, including those targeting Canadian Judge Kimberly Prost, directly with the United States’ Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, on August 21, 2025. Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister also issued a statement highlighting the vital work of the judges of the Court in upholding the International Criminal Court’s mission. On November 11, 2025, in the context of the United Nations General Assembly debate on the annual report of the International Criminal Court, Canada denounced sanctions once more, including the impact on those targeted and their families, highlighting the human costs imposed on individuals simply for carrying out the work that States Parties mandated under the Rome Statute. Canada’s support to the Court is unwavering and has been reaffirmed on many occasions. As a State Party to the Rome Statute, Canada - like all States Parties – is obligated to cooperate fully with the Court in its investigation and prosecution of crimes that fall within the jurisdiction of the Court. Canada would fully consider any request for cooperation received from the International Criminal Court, including with respect to any arrest warrants the Court may have issued, in accordance with the procedures established under Canadian law. Finally, Canada has already implemented a domestic legal framework that operates as a blocking statute, comparable to those adopted by the Council of the European Union, to protect against the international application of legislation passed by a third country, namely the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act. Canada will continue to respect the independence of the Court and its officials. Canada remains a strong supporter of the Court, and the more than 50 Canadians currently working at the Court.