The Nature of Impossible Offence in Iran’s Law with Respect to English Law

Commitment of an act with the intent to commit an offence will not always result in a crime. Sometimes in performance stage, although with malice intention, some outer- will element the crime do not happen. In this case if the commitment is probable it will be attempting the crime and if it is impossible to commit, it is called attempting the impossible crime. In any way it is crime in English law, but under section 122 of the Islamic Punishment Act, if attempting to commit a specific offence is crime, then legal element of the impossible offence is formed. The guilty intention to commit a crime and the defendant’s mistake (unconsciousness) of the nature of means or issue is the guilty intention of impossible offence. Impossibility of commitment and offender’s positive conduct with direct relation to the offence that necessarily is the last conduct in attempts, is the physical element of this crime. In this case the acts done before last conduct is called attempting impossible offence that is not a crime. Involvement in an impossible offence will occur in four forms: perpetrator, causation, participation and accessory.