Achieving Maturity and Determining Punishment in Article 91 of the Islamic Penal Code: A Case Study of Tehran Judiciary Cases

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Law, Faculty of Humanities, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.

2 PhD in Criminal Law and Criminology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Article 91 of the Islamic Penal Code, in line with attention to the psychological characteristics of juveniles and avoiding strict criminal responsibility in crimes punishable by Hadd and Qisas, has introduced a valuable legal provision. However, referring the punishment in Article 91 to the legal provisions of Chapter 10 of the Islamic Penal Code—when one of the conditions mentioned in this article is met—has created ambiguity and led to inconsistent judicial practices. In judicial practice, not only are there different and sometimes conflicting interpretations regarding the determination of maturity , but the impossibility of applying Hadd and Qisas punishments in accordance with Articles 88 and 89 of the Islamic Penal Code is also challenging. The lack of clear criteria for determining maturity and sentencing has resulted in the violation of juveniles' rights in some cases, which contradicts the original purpose of this article. This study, using an analytical-descriptive method and relying on judicial rulings collected from Tehran courts, examines the prevailing judicial approach regarding the determination of maturity and sentencing under Article 91.

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Main Subjects

References

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Criminal Law Research
Volume 16, Issue 2 - Serial Number 32
Papers
December 2025
Pages 71-85

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