Legal Authorities of Police Use of Firearms (Comparative Study of Criminal Policy of Iran and Britain)

Legal and executive precedent of police use of firearms is one of the hot issues of human rights studies. British police has justifiable experiences in the field regulating police shooting. They can be useful for Iran’s police. The present paper with comparative approach tries to explore the criminal policy of the legal system of Iran and of the United Kingdom about carrying firearms and use of them in police missions. Most of police officers of Iran carry firearms in their daily activities and in 12 mentioned cases in the law of use of firearms in necessary cases (codified 1373) with considering the provision of exigency they can use firearms. In Britain, most police officers do not carry guns and the cases to apply firearms are determined by the Chief Fire Officers Association or CFOA. According to the current regulations of the United Kingdom, the police officers can use firearms only when they are in danger of their life or an innocent citizen being in an immediate danger of death. In these cases they grant permission to shoot from the senior commander; otherwise granting permission causes the enhancement of danger for their life. To decrease the illegal shooting of Iran’s police it is necessary for police to carry out his missions without firearms and only in some provinces which they confront acts of terrorism and gun attack with previous record they are allowed to carry guns. For special cases to apply the firearm it is necessary only for protecting the life of police officers or other citizens and police should not use firearms in cases for exploring crimes or arresting the accused.