Research and development in criminal law and criminology

Research and development in criminal law and criminology

The Procedural Mechanism for Ensuring the Non-Identification of the Offender in the Payment of Diyah from Public Treasury (With Emphasis on Judicial Practice)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mahdi Mozafari Anari 1
Hamid Bahremand 2
1 Phd student in Criminal law and Criminology, Faculty of Law and Political sience, university of tehran. tehran. iran
2 Assistanat Professor in crminal law and criminology, faculty of law and political sience, university of tehran. tehran. iran
10.22034/jclc.2026.2073345.1261
Abstract
Under the Islamic Penal Code, in cases where the offender remains unidentified, the payment of diyah (blood money) is borne by the public treasury as an alternative source of compensation. Given the exceptional and subsidiary character of this rule, together with the necessity of safeguarding public interests and preserving state resources, liability should be imposed on the treasury only after establishing, through diligent judicial efforts, the practical impossibility of identifying or prosecuting the offender. Such a cautious approach both guarantees the victim’s legitimate right to compensation and prevents the premature, unnecessary, or unjustified depletion of public funds. Judicial practice, however, indicates that in certain cases courts have ordered payment from the treasury without granting sufficient time for comprehensive investigation and evidentiary inquiry, despite the possibility that extended and more meticulous proceedings might have resulted in the identification of the responsible party. This inconsistency has generated procedural uncertainty and divergent judicial approaches in similar cases. The central question of this study is therefore how, and according to which objective and legally defensible criteria, courts can attain relative judicial certainty regarding the non-identification of the offender before assigning financial liability to the public treasury. The research hypothesis suggests that adopting a time-based ranking criterion proportionate to the degree and gravity of diyah claims may provide a practical and coherent solution. More specifically, by relying on the medical forensic certificate, evaluating the extent of bodily harm, and establishing a structured hierarchy ranging from minor to severe injuries, Article 85 of the Criminal Procedure Code can be applied in a more systematic, transparent, and equitable manner. Employing a descriptive-analytical methodology with utilization authoritative library sources and examining relevant judicial decisions, this study seeks to formulate a reasoned framework aimed at reducing disparities in judicial practice nationwide and strengthening consistency in the allocation of treasury liability.
Keywords
Public Treasury
Payment of Diyah (blood money)
Unidentified Offender
Time-Based Ranking
Judicial investigations

Subjects

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Research and development in criminal law and criminology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 April 2026