Criminalization of Victimless Crimes in Iran’s Legislative Criminal Policy

In every legal system, the way of combating criminal phenomenon determines type of criminal policy of the system. The criminal policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly in its legislative domain, is affected by human rights criminal policy and is widely influenced by Islamic Law Verdicts, as well. The criminal policy of an Islamic government is also naturally affected by the Islamic laws and values in its ideological part which include expediency, necessities of time and place, reasoning and compromise. Every penal system determines limits of forbidden acts with respect to the principles of its thoughts and concepts. Criminalization is a trend based on which the legislator considers certain behavior illegal and determines punishment for it. In the penal system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, this issue must be done in accordance with Article 71 of the Constitution within the determined limits in the Constitution. Taking this article into account, the ability of the Islamic Consultative Assembly is not unlimited to pass criminal and criminalization laws and is based on the existing limitations in the Constitution. Article 4 of the Constitution has limited the Islamic Consultative Assembly so that it takes measures to address the issue of criminalization in accordance with the Islamic laws and regulations.