Journal of Research and Development in Comparative Law

Journal of Research and Development in Comparative Law

Property injuries caused by waste and its impact on citizenship rights in Iran's legal system with a comparative look at the rights of England and the European Union

Articles in Press

Document Type : scientific research paper

Authors
Masoud Heydari 1
sanaz baradare 2
Mahmoud esharfi 3
1 Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan Branch (Khorasgan), Isfahan, Iran.
2 PhD student in Criminal Law and Criminology, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan Branch (Khorasgan), Isfahan, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan Branch (Khorasgan), Isfahan, Iran.
10.22034/law.2025.2076277.1724
Abstract
The growing production of household, industrial, and urban waste in recent years has become one of the most significant threats to environmental health and the fundamental rights of citizens. Pollution arising from such waste directly undermines the quality of human life and the safety of the environment. In response to this situation, the Iranian legislature—through the adoption of various provisions in development plans, the Waste Management Act of 2004, and constitutional principles, particularly Article 50—has sought to prevent waste related harm by criminalizing harmful conduct and establishing criminal, civil, and administrative obligations. Nevertheless, the dispersion of legal norms, inconsistencies between certain provisions, weak enforcement mechanisms, and the absence of a coherent regulatory and institutional framework have hindered the effectiveness of the Iranian legal system in realizing the right to a healthy environment. Using a descriptive–analytical method and relying on authoritative domestic and international sources, this article first examines the theoretical foundations of environmental criminalization in Iranian criminal law and evaluates the legislative framework governing the criminalization of waste related conduct, with a focus on its alignment with principles such as proportionality, necessity, deterrence, and the protection of citizens’ rights. It then adopts a comparative approach by analyzing Iranian regulations alongside the legal framework of England and the environmental directives of the European Union, highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, and transferrable capacities relevant to improving Iran’s criminal policy on waste management. Finally, the study identifies key legislative and enforcement challenges—particularly those relating to regulatory oversight, normative coherence, and the effectiveness of sanctions—and proposes a set of legislative, institutional, and criminal policy reforms aimed at strengthening criminal protection of the urban environment, enhancing inter institutional coordination, and improving the criminalization framework governing waste related harm to ensure more effective safeguarding of citizens’ rights. institutional, and criminal policy reforms aimed at strengthening criminal protection of the urban environment, enhancing inter institutional coordination, and improving the criminalization framework governing waste related harm to ensure more effective safeguarding of citizens’ rights
Keywords
: Criminalization؛ Waste related harm؛ Citizens&rsquo
rights؛ Iranian legal system؛ English law؛ European Union؛ Comparative study

Subjects

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Journal of Research and Development in Comparative Law

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 06 December 2025