Research and development in criminal law and criminology

Research and development in criminal law and criminology

Victim Rights in the Criminal Enforcement Process: Focusing on the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Execution Regulations

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 PhD student in Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, University of Qom, Qom, Iran
2 Associate Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, University of Qom, Qom, Iran
Abstract
In most cases, criminalization is pursued with the interests of the victims; however, some of their interests may be overlooked during the sentence execution phase. No person understands their own interests better than the victim, and it appears that this is the reason why they should be entrusted with certain authority in the execution of the sentence, enabling them to make decisions considering their own interests. The active role of the victim not only facilitates the reformation of the offender, but also ensures that the victim attains their legal rights.
This article, for the first time in Iran's legal literature, identifies the rights of victims in the execution phase of criminal sentences and examines the position of these rights within the laws related to the execution of sentences.
This study employs a descriptive-analytical method, utilizing library sources and examining relevant laws, to address the problem of the victim's position in the sentence execution process. It recognizes rights such as compensation for damages, compensation for the costs of execution procedures, the right to have a lawyer during the execution phase, the right to security, and the right to active participation.
The research concludes that by integrating current laws and regulations, it is possible to acknowledge various rights for the victim and establish an arrangement that, under the principles of restorative justice, allows the victim to play a dynamic role.
Keywords
Subjects

  1. Ashouri, Mohammad; Khodadi, Abolghasem. (2011). “Fundamental Rights of the Victim in Criminal Proceedings”, Criminal Law Teachings, Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, New Series, No. 2, pp. 3–36. (in Persian)

  2. Akhtari, Abbas; Moazzen Zadegan, Hassan Ali. (2019). “The Position of the Victim in the Preliminary Investigation Stage from the Perspective of Iranian Criminal Procedure Law”, Criminal Law Research, Vol. 7, No. 26, Spring 2019, pp. 41–73. (in Persian)

  3. Bayat, Shirin; Khaleghi, Ali. (2022). “Examining the Status of Female Victims in the Criminal Procedure Code with a Comparative Approach”, Comparative Law Journal, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 141–164. (in Persian)

  4. Hosseini, Seyyed Hossein; Mousavi Bayegi, Seyyed Ali. (2014). “Examining Different Legislative Responses in the Field of Juvenile Crimes”, National Conference on Iran’s Criminal Policy toward Juvenile Delinquency and Victimization, February 2014, p. 5. (in Persian)

  5. Khodakhah, Nasim. (2018). “Victims’ and Defendants’ Rights before the International Criminal Court”, Bar Association Internal Quarterly, No. 17, pp. 149–165. (in Persian)

  6. Salehi, Javad. (2015). “The Effects of Victimology on the Victim’s Right to Participate in Preliminary Investigations in Light of the Practice of the International Criminal Court”, International Legal Journal, Vol. 32, No. 52, pp. 255–276. (in Persian)

  7. Zeinali, Amir Hamzeh; Moghaddasi, Mohammad Bagher. (2013). “A Comparative Approach to the Role and Status of the Victim in Criminal Proceedings”, Criminal Law Teachings, Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, No. 5, pp. 181–210. (in Persian)

  8. Shiri, Abbas. (2018). “The Victim’s Right in Sentencing and Its Enforcement”, Judicial Legal Perspectives Quarterly, No. 81, Spring 2018, pp. 77–105. (in Persian)

  9. Fattah, Ezzat; Khattatan, Soosan; Najafi Abrandabadi, Hossein Ali. (1992). “From Crime-Control Policy to Victim Protection Policy (The Necessity of a Fundamental Change in Current Criminal Policy)”, Justice Legal Journal, Vol. 56, No. 3, April 1992, pp. 85–112. (in Persian)

  10. Kousha, Jafar; Pak Niat, Mostafa. (2014). “Balancing the Rights of the Accused and the Victim in the 2013 Criminal Procedure Code and International Instruments”, Justice Legal Journal, Vol. 81, No. 97, Spring 2017. (in Persian)

  11. Mirkamali, Seyyed Alireza. (2015). “The Role of the Victim in English Criminal Law”, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Research, No. 6, Second Semester, pp. 161–180. (in Persian)

  12. Niazi Abkouh, Mahshid; Abouthieh, Fakhr al-Din. (2015). “Victimology in the Foundations of Legal Science”, First Conference on Law and Judicial Affairs, Talash Conference Center, Tehran. (in Persian)

  13. Nourbakhsh, Seyyed Mohammad Amin; Vali Zadeh, Seyyedeh Somayeh. (2017). “Criminology of Restorative Justice”, National Conference on Global Scientific Research in Management, Accounting, Law and Social Sciences. (in Persian)

  14. SID. https://sid.ir/paper/897151/fa

  15. Nowbahar, Rahim; Saffari, Fatemeh. (2016). “Observance of Victims’ Interests in Criminalization”, Justice Legal Journal, Vol. 80, No. 93, pp. 217–242. (in Persian)

B. Foreign Sources

  1. Toboliwsky, Barbara F.; Allen, Taryn Ozuna. (2016). “On the Fast Track: Understanding the Opportunities and Challenges of Dual Credit”, ASHE Higher Education Report, Vol. 42, No. 3.

  2. Baumgartner. (2008). “Future-Oriented Emotions: Conceptualization and Behavioral Effects.”

  3. Damaska, Mirjan. (2008). “What Is the Point of International Criminal Justice?”, Chicago-Kent Law Review, Vol. 83.

  4. Cummins, The Hon. Philip AM. “The Role of Victims of Crime in the Criminal Trial Process”, Youth Crime Briefing Report, June 2002.

  5. Hepner, Ilana; Woodward, Mary; Stewart, Jeanette. (2014). “Giving the Vulnerable a Voice in the Criminal Justice System: The Use of Intermediaries with Individuals with Intellectual Disability”, Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, Vol. 22, No. 3.

  6. Lopez. (2007). “Immigration Law Spanish-Style: A Study of Spain’s Normalization of Undocumented Workers”, Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, Vol. 21, pp. 571–606.