Foundations of Article 477 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in Islamic Jurisprudence
Keywords:
Article 477 of the Criminal Procedure Code, against Sharia, inherent rights, final verdictAbstract
“Manifest violation of Sharia” in Islamic jurisprudence refers to cases where a judicial decision or statutory rule is clearly inconsistent with fundamental and well-established principles of Islamic law. In the Iranian legal system, which is rooted in Imāmī (Twelver Shīʿī) jurisprudence, the presumption is that laws and judicial rulings do not conflict with the principles of Sharia. The present research employs a descriptive-analytical methodology. Article 477 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is founded on the principle that judicial rulings must not contradict established Islamic jurisprudential norms, even when those rulings comply with codified statutes. From a jurisprudential perspective, a “manifest violation of Sharia” occurs when a judgment clearly contradicts the explicit text of the Qurʾān, definitive Sunna, or the consensus (ijmāʿ) of jurists. In statutory law, this concept serves as a standard to ensure the judiciary’s alignment with Sharia. However, the ambiguity in identifying specific instances and establishing objective criteria for determining when a violation is “manifest” has drawn criticism. Such ambiguity can broaden interpretive discretion for judicial authorities and undermine the finality of judgments. Clarifying this concept was the main motivation behind the present study. Ultimately, the interaction between Islamic jurisprudence and statutory law in this field illustrates the Iranian legal system’s effort to maintain a balance between the finality of judgments and adherence to Sharia, though the need for clearer criteria for implementing Article 477 remains evident. Given the current judicial structure—where the majority of judges are not mujtahids (jurists qualified for independent reasoning) and the number of erroneous judgments is considerable—the necessity of such a mechanism is unquestionable. However, safeguards should be developed to prevent this type of review from effectively becoming another stage of litigation.
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Copyright (c) 1402 Qasem Salmani (Author); Parviz Zakaeian (Corresponding author); Baitollah Diosalar (Author)
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