Expediency Considerations of the General Assembly of the Supreme Court in Interpreting Criminal Laws

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Student, Department of Law, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran,

2 Professor, Criminal Law and Criminology, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran. (Corresponding Author)

Abstract

Expediency may be taken into account either during the drafting of a legal text or at the stage of its interpretation by legislators and interpreters. Such considerations, when aimed at securing public interests and addressing widespread social problems within a proper legal framework, can be deemed acceptable and even commendable. However, the problematic aspect arises when political, security, and administrative concerns overshadow legal principles and interpretative norms. Although the General Assembly of the Supreme Court of Iran generally adopts a principled and legally sound approach in its unification rulings, there are certain criminal judgments where decisions are seemingly influenced by considerations of expediency, including political, security, and managerial factors. This article examines specific rulings to explore the manifestations and consequences of such expediency in criminal jurisprudence. The expansion of the exceptional jurisdiction of the Revolutionary Court and alignment with the Judiciary’s administrative policies are examples of this trend. These forms of expedient reasoning not only represent a failure to fulfill the Court’s supervisory duty over the proper implementation of laws but also undermine the Supreme Court’s distinguished role in the advancement and transformation of the country’s criminal justice system.

Keywords

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Journal of Studies in Islamic Law & Jurisprudence
Volume 17, Issue 38
March 2025
Pages 173-204

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