Research and development in criminal law and criminology

Research and development in criminal law and criminology

The Constituent Elements of a Broker’s Breach of Trust in Iranian Law: A Study of Article 349 of the Commercial Code and Article 56 of the 2024 Draft Commercial Bill

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ahmed Rahimi 1
Muhammad Ibrahim Shams Natri 2
Alireza Aalipanah 3
1 PhD Student in Criminal Law and Criminology, Farabi Campus, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2 Professor, Faculty of Law, Farabi Campus, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/jclc.2026.2079357.1295
Abstract
The offense of a broker’s breach of trust, as one of the specific offenses arising in commercial relations, is provided for in Article 349 of the Commercial Code and Article 56 of the 2024 Draft Commercial Bill. Despite the importance of this offense in safeguarding intermediary commercial relations, the precise scope of its constituent elements and the effectiveness of the existing criminal policy remain ambiguous and contested. Using a descriptive-analytical method, this study seeks to clarify the constituent elements of this offense and to evaluate the effectiveness of its criminalization in light of recent developments in Iranian commercial law. The findings indicate that the offense of a broker’s breach of trust has a nature distinct from the general offense of breach of trust and is grounded in a professional trust arising from the contractual and customary relationship between the broker and the principal. The findings further show that, although the 2024 Draft Commercial Bill has taken a positive step in reforming the type of criminal response, it still suffers from shortcomings regarding the inclusion of non-pecuniary interests, the liability of the other party to the transaction, and the gradation of penalties in light of the harm caused. The paper concludes by offering proposals for legislative reform and directions for future research.


Keywords
Broker&‌‌rsquo
s Breach of Trust
Criminal Protection
General Breach of Trust
Article 349 Commercial Code
2024 Draft Commercial Bill
Subjects
 
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Research and development in criminal law and criminology
Volume 3, Issue 5 - Serial Number 5
August 2026
Pages 147-179