A Comparative Study of Lapse of Time in Fiqh, and Iran’s Penal Code with an Approach based on Imam Khomeini’s Views

The principle of the lapse of time is one of the most important and essential articles of the penal code. After the victory of Islamic Revolution, the legislature nullified and deleted the article. Then, the penal lapse of time was admitted again in 1999 with binding conditions in penal affairs. Finally, upon the approval of the Islamic Penal Code in 2013, the principle of the lapse of time was approved with substantive rules. This paper, carried out with a combined, descriptive, analytical and comparative method, made it clear that Sunni jurists or the general public have found no fault with discretionary punishment, and even in some of its sects (Abu Hanifa), the lapse of time shall be deemed without any problem except in right of people, blood money and punishment for attributing adultery to someone. Imamiya jurists, like Imam Khomeini, do not approve lapse of time for such crimes and punishments as lashes, blood vengeance, and blood money, ruling that it is contrary to the Sharia criteria. However, in discretionary crimes, the ruler can consider lapse of time upon reasoning through exigency or expediency.