It is often assumed that the independence of a criminal court is synonymous to the impartiality of judges. However, discussions around the independence of the International Criminal Court are in most cases about the Court as an institution and on the work of the Office of the Prosecutor. The Independence of the International Criminal Court: Between a Rock and a Hard Place focuses on understanding the different competing narratives defending and critiquing the Court’s ‘institutional’ independence and legitimacy, especially in its relationship with Africa. Critical Discourse Analysis technics are used to capture the way language is used to express collective power capable of influencing the policies of the Court.