The Court may establish and maintain a body of Court Enforcement Officers where financially, operationally, and legally practicable.
Court Enforcement Officers shall assist the Court in carrying out lawful judicial and enforcement orders issued under this Treaty.
The Court Enforcement Officers may, where lawfully authorised: a. locate persons subject to Court warrants; b. arrest persons subject to lawful Court warrants; c. detain or secure persons pending transfer or other lawful proceedings; d. transport or transfer persons in accordance with Court orders; e. assist States Parties with custody and enforcement; f. secure and preserve evidence; g. assist with lawful searches and seizures; h. identify, freeze, seize, recover, or secure property connected with offences; i. enforce confiscation and forfeiture orders; j. assist with lawful deportation or removal orders; k. protect victims, witnesses, judges, prosecutors, investigators, defence representatives, and Court personnel where authorised; l. prevent escape or interference with Court proceedings; and m. perform other lawful enforcement functions authorised by the Court.
Court Enforcement Officers shall operate under the authority of the Court and shall remain independent of political parties, governments, private organisations, donors, and other external interests.
Court Enforcement Officers shall not exercise powers beyond those granted to them by this Treaty, a lawful Court order, or an applicable cooperation agreement.
Court Enforcement Officers operating within a State Party shall respect the jurisdiction and lawful requirements of that State while carrying out the Court's orders.
Court Enforcement Officers may operate jointly with national police, prison services, border authorities, customs authorities, prosecutors, or other competent national authorities.
A State Party may request assistance from Court Enforcement Officers where additional international enforcement capability is necessary or useful.
Court Enforcement Officers may be deployed across more than one State where authorised under this Treaty and where the necessary legal authority and cooperation arrangements exist.
The Court may establish regional or temporary enforcement teams rather than maintaining permanent offices in every country.
Court Enforcement Officers may be appointed from different States and may perform administrative, investigative, coordination, or other functions remotely where physical presence is unnecessary.
Officers shall receive appropriate training concerning: a. this Treaty; b. international law; c. human rights and fundamental protections; d. lawful arrest and detention; e. evidence preservation; f. victim and witness protection; g. use-of-force requirements; h. cross-border cooperation; and i. any other duties relevant to their functions.
Any use of force by Court Enforcement Officers shall be lawful, necessary, proportionate, and subject to the strictest applicable legal requirements.
Court Enforcement Officers shall not use force as punishment or retaliation.
Officers shall respect the dignity and fundamental rights of persons subject to Court orders.
Arrests shall be carried out pursuant to a valid Court warrant or other lawful authority recognised under this Treaty, except where an immediate arrest is otherwise expressly authorised by this Treaty.
A person arrested by a Court Enforcement Officer shall be informed of the reason for arrest and their relevant rights as soon as reasonably practicable.
Court Enforcement Officers may request the assistance of national authorities where national powers are required to complete an arrest, search, seizure, detention, transfer, deportation, or other enforcement action.
Court Enforcement Officers shall not interfere with the independence of judges, prosecutors, defence representatives, or investigators.
Court Enforcement Officers may assist with the enforcement of imprisonment, fines, restitution, compensation, confiscation, forfeiture, property recovery, deportation, removal, and other lawful sentences.
Where a State Party is already capable of carrying out an enforcement action, the Court may allow the State Party to perform that function without deployment of Court Enforcement Officers.
The Court shall therefore not be required to maintain a large permanent enforcement force where cooperation from States Parties can adequately carry out its lawful orders.
The Court may establish a reserve or roster of qualified enforcement personnel who can be called upon when necessary.
The Court may appoint officers on a permanent, temporary, part-time, contractual, or other lawful basis according to operational needs and available resources.
The Court shall establish procedures for complaints, disciplinary action, investigation of misconduct, suspension, dismissal, and accountability of Court Enforcement Officers.
Serious misconduct, unlawful violence, corruption, bribery, abuse of authority, deliberate evidence tampering, unlawful detention, or other serious abuse by an Enforcement Officer may constitute an offence under this Treaty or applicable national law.
The Court shall maintain appropriate records of enforcement operations, including arrests, transfers, searches, seizures, use of force, and other significant actions.
The Court may establish secure systems for coordinating Enforcement Officers with States Parties, prosecutors, investigators, judges, prisons, police, and other competent authorities.
Nothing in this Article prevents States Parties from exercising their own lawful enforcement powers in support of the Court.
The Rules of the Court shall establish detailed procedures governing the appointment, authority, training, deployment, powers, use of force, cooperation, accountability, discipline, and oversight of Court Enforcement Officers.
A person shall not be excluded from appointment or service as a Court Enforcement Officer solely because they are a serving member of a military, reserve military force, police service, emergency service, security service, or other lawful public service.
Court Enforcement Officers may serve on a full-time, part-time, occasional, voluntary, reserve, or other flexible basis according to the needs of the Court and the availability of the officer.
A serving military or reserve military member appointed as a Court Enforcement Officer shall exercise their Court functions independently and under the authority of the Court when acting in that capacity.
A Court Enforcement Officer shall not use their position within a military, reserve military, police, or other organisation to improperly influence or obtain authority for the Court beyond that which has been lawfully granted.
Where an officer's employment or service creates an actual conflict of interest in a particular operation, the Court may require that officer to withdraw from that operation.
Nothing in this Article prevents military, reserve military, police, emergency-service, or other public-service personnel from voluntarily contributing their lawful skills, training, experience, or specialist knowledge to the Court outside their ordinary employment duties.
The Court may establish different categories of Enforcement Officer according to their availability, qualifications, training, specialist skills, and intended level of service.