The Rule of the Authority of the Legal Guardian in Pardoning Legal Punishments

The legal guardian in Islamic government is of certain authorities one of which in penal matters is the right or power to grant pardon to those who are subject to legal (prescribed) punishments. Researches into the books of Islamic jurisprudence reveal the point that the majority of Muslim jurists have had sporadic discussions on different penal issues and have recognized the Immaculate Imams as having the right to pardon the prescribed penalties under certain conditions. So far, the issue in question has not been taken into account as a jurisprudential rule in an organized and orderly manner and has not been spoken of its criteria as done in relation to other jurisprudential rules. Given the establishment of the Islamic government and the necessity of formulating governmental fiqh, it seems necessary to consider the issue in question as rule-governed and to explain its boundaries. The article, presupposing that there are permissions to administer punishments at times of Occultation, along with ascertaining the crime by means of sufficient evidence, tries to propose that the leader of the Islamic government is granted the right to pardon the prescribed punishments, thereby certain issues related to this , including documents and evidence for the rule, stipulation or lack of stipulation of repentance regarding the legitimacy of pardon or amnesty, the question whether the scope of the rule extended to cover such domains as the right of God or right of people and the right to be pardoned by the legal guardian of the one who profess to commit prescribed penalties are explored in this article.