Comparative Law Researches

Comparative Law Researches

Statutory Definition and Its Governing Criteria

Document Type : مقالات علمی پژوهشی

Author
Assistant Professor in Private Law, Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
10.48311/clr.2025.101669.0
Abstract
This paper focuses on the concept of the “statutory definition” within the Iranian legal system and compares it with logical and comparative-legal approaches. It examines the place and function of definition in legislative texts, drawing on sources ranging from Aristotle to the ideas of Islamic jurists and modern legal doctrines. The study demonstrates that, in logic, definition is concerned with discovering the essence of things, whereas in law, it serves as an instrument for eliminating ambiguity and delimiting the conceptual scope of words and terms. By analyzing the structure, function, and role of statutory definitions, the paper reveals the weaknesses that exist in Iranian legislative drafting, including the confusion between definition and abbreviation, the lack of comprehensiveness and exclusivity, and the neglect of consistency between definitions and the practical context of the law. It argues that a statutory definition should be regarded as a communicative and empowering statement that, while preventing ambiguity, accurately conveys the legislator’s intent to its audience. Exploring the theoretical foundations of the issue in jurisprudence as well as in legal and statutory texts, this paper suggests that, rather than avoiding definitions, the Iranian legislator should focus on formulating systematic, stable, and linguistically and contextually grounded definitions so as to ensure uniform interpretation and application of the law. The research method employed in this study is analytical–descriptive with a comparative approach. The data were collected and analyzed through documentary and library research. Moreover, a comparative analysis between the Iranian legal system and the Romano-Germanic and Common Law systems was conducted to identify differences in the understanding of statutory definition and its role in the legislative drafting process. This approach has made it possible to identify methodological deficiencies in Iranian legislative drafting concerning statutory definitions.





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