A Comparative Study of Jury Trial in Iranian and English Law in the Light of Multiple Streams Theory

Abstract

The founders of the modern criminal justice system in Iran initiated a transition from the traditional to the modern system by drawing inspiration from the criminal justice systems of developed countries. However, this process of change has consistently faced numerous challenges, and in some cases, the adoption of foreign models has been relatively unsuccessful. The adoption of the jury trial institution in English law is one such unsuccessful experience. This article, based on a scientific and systematic approach using the multiple streams theory, seeks to explain the reasons for this failure. The theory focuses on the changes in public policies and aims to identify the influential variables in this area. According to this theory, to develop a new policy, an undesirable situation, referred to as a "problem", must first be identified. This issue is heavily influenced by the values dominant in a society. After identifying a problem, multiple solutions are proposed, but only a solution that meets criteria such as feasibility, practicality, and normative acceptability remains as the answer to the problem. This article demonstrates, through the application of the aforementioned theory, that although the jury trial institution is a successful and effective institution in common law jurisdictions, it has not gained popularity in Iran. The reason for this failure should be sought in the lack of relevance of the jury trial institution to the Iranian context and its conflict with the public values and the values of the Islamic judicial system, which is judge-oriented.

Keywords

• jury trial
• english law
• iranian law
• transfer of social institution
• multiple streams