Prison as a Courtroom: The Electronic Trial of Incarcerated Defendants

Articles in Press

Document Type : scientific

Authors

1 Phd student Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Professor Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Associate Professor Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Objective: This research critically analyzes the "prison as a courtroom" practice in the Iranian judicial system. The main objective is to examine how holding electronic court proceedings for incarcerated defendants affects the fundamental principles of a fair trial.
Method(s): Data were collected through non-participant observation of court proceedings and semi-structured interviews with 50 judicial officials, lawyers, defendants, and prison staff.
Result(s): The findings indicate that this practice, by creating a structural inequality, shifts the power dynamics in favor of public and private accusers, violating the principles of equality of arms and impartiality. Severe communication restrictions render the defendant's right to effective access to a lawyer ineffective. Furthermore, displaying the defendant in a prison environment and eliminating non-verbal cues leads to the erosion of the "presumption of innocence" and reinforces a "presumption of guilt" in the judge's mind. Ultimately, merging the court's space with the prison's disciplinary logic eliminates the defendant's sense of participation in the proceedings.
Conclusion(s): The aforementioned practice, rather than being an innovation, signifies the prevalence of managerial logic over the principles of a fair trial. This method strips the proceedings of their justice-oriented nature and turns them into a control-oriented formality where form prevails over substance.

Keywords

Criminal Law Doctrines

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 28 September 2025

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