Judiciary

Article 156 describes the judiciary as independent and assigns it dispute resolution, protection of public rights, prosecution, supervision of law enforcement and crime prevention. Under Article 157, the Supreme Leader appoints its head for five years; the appointee must be a qualified Islamic jurist with judicial knowledge and administrative ability. s1

The judiciary head organizes the branch, prepares judicial bills and administers judicial appointments. The justice minister instead manages relationships with the executive and legislature, selected from candidates proposed by the judiciary head. Holding a cabinet portfolio therefore does not make the minister head of the courts. s1

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The Supreme Court supervises courts’ implementation of law and consistency of procedure. The Court of Administrative Justice addresses complaints concerning government officials, bodies and regulations. The General Inspectorate supervises administrative conduct and implementation of laws. Their detailed powers depend on legislation. s1

Constitutional safeguards include reasoned judgments, generally public hearings subject to exceptions, and protection against retroactive criminalization. These provisions establish legal standards; they do not demonstrate compliance in individual proceedings. s1

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The United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran reached a sharply critical assessment in its March 2025 findings concerning the protests that began in September 2022 and their aftermath. Its published summary described a judiciary fundamentally lacking independence, continued judicial harassment of victims and families, and intimidation of people seeking accountability. s2

The mission acknowledged some efforts toward accountability and compensation but assessed domestic avenues for redress as inadequate. It also reported exchanges with a presidentially appointed investigative committee while concluding that reparations remained insufficient. These are attributed investigative findings about a defined body of events, rather than an assessment of every civil or criminal case. s2

For readers, the central distinction is between an institution’s constitutional mandate and evidence about its operation. Appointment rules explain where formal authority sits; investigation of actual proceedings is needed to evaluate fair treatment, effective remedies and accountability. The material inspected here supports that distinction but does not provide a comprehensive account through the editorial cutoff. s1s2

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