Public Law Studies Quarterly

Universal Jurisdiction of Iranian Courts in International Criminal Law

Document Type : Article

Authors

Seyed Hossein Mirjafari 1
Shahram Zarneshan 2
Samaneh Rahmatifar 3

1 PhD student in Public International Law, Hamedan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamadan, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Law Faculty of Law and Political Science, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of Law, Faculty of Humanities, Hamedan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22059/jplsq.2022.332271.2915
Abstract
The pinciple of universal jurisdiction, applied in international criminal law for many years, can complement international justice as an important mechanism. In addition to complementing the jurisdiction of international criminal courts, universal jurisdiction guarantees the widest jurisdiction for national courts to deal with important international crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, on the premiss that these crimes harm international public order. Three essential steps are needed to implement this principle: the existence of a specific context for universal jurisdiction, a clear definition of crime and its elements, and national law-enforcement procedures that allow national judicial authorities to exercise jurisdiction over these crimes. Therefore, national courts can exercise universal jurisdiction only when the government has enacted legislation which authorizes its application. The main question in the present study is how can Iranian courts exercise universal jurisdiction, and what kind of universal jurisdiction does Iran believe in? The answer can be found in both general (Articles 3 and 9 of the Penal Code) and special laws (such as the Bill on International Crimes). The current study applies a descriptive-analytical approach to investigate the principle of universal jurisdiction, the Islamic Penal Code, and other relevant laws to clarify the universal jurisdiction of the Iranian courts regarding international criminal law.

Keywords

universal jurisdiction
Iranian courts
international criminal law
international crimes bill
Subjects

  1. English

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    1. B) Articles
    2. 17. Alfadhel, K. A.,(2017). M. Cherif Bassiouni. Chronicles of the Egyptian Revolution and its Aftermath: 2011-2016, Asian Affairs, 48:2, 359-361.
    3. Broomhall, B. (2001). Toward U.S. Acceptance of the International Criminal Court, 64 Law and Contemporary Problems 141-151, Available at: https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/lcp/vol64/iss1/6.
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    8. Roger, O' K. (2004). Universal Jurisdiction: Clarifying the Basic Concept', is a particulary powerful argument to this effect. Journal of International Criminal Justice 2, 735–760; See also Thomas Weigend, Grund und Grenzen Universalter Gerichtsbrarkeit, in Jorg Arnold et al.
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    1. C) Document & Report
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    1. B) Articles
    2. Ardabili, M. A. (2010). Article 8 of the Islamic Penal Code and the principle of universal jurisdiction. Journal of Legal Research, 51, 53-86 (In Persian).
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    5. Khaleghi, A. (2003). Saddam's trial and the issue of jurisdiction from the perspective of domestic and international law. Journal of Legal Research, 2(4), 11-43 (In Persian).
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    7. Maghami, A., & Rostami, J. (2019). The spread of moharebeh to piracy from the perspective of Shiite jurisprudence and Iranian criminal law. Quarterly Journal of Parliament and Strategy, 27(101), Spring 2020, 243-269 (In Persian).
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    9. Sabooripour, M., & Khalilzadeh, I. (2017). Customary Criminal Law and its role in the formation of Iranian criminal law. Quarterly Journal of Criminal Law Research, 7(24), 225-255 (In Persian).
Public Law Studies Quarterly
Volume 53, Issue 3 - Serial Number 35
Autumn 2023
Autumn 2023
Pages 1653-1675

  • Receive Date 16 October 2021
  • Revise Date 17 January 2022
  • Accept Date 17 April 2022

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