Introduction

The rule of prior referral of cases in Iran is a common principle in procedural law applicable to civil, administrative, and criminal procedures. Grounded in the principles of celerity and good administration of justice, the rule of prior referral of cases states that if there is a connection between cases being heard by two or more separate courts— such that it serves the interests of justice to investigate and adjudicate the case together—the second court must relinquish jurisdiction and refer the case to the first court or branch. If the same dispute is pending before two equally competent courts of the same level, the second court must also relinquish jurisdiction in favor of the other court if one of the parties requests it. Otherwise, the second court may do so ex officio. In French civil and administrative procedures, related cases are not necessarily sent to the primary branch but may be referred to one of the two branches or jurisdictions at the discretion of the decision-making authority. The present study aimed to address several key questions: What is the basis for the prior referral of cases in procedural law? How and when did this concept emerge in Iranian procedural law? What are the differences among civil, administrative, and criminal procedures in this context? Additionally, how does this rule apply when cases fall within a single jurisdiction or across two? The research also explored the differences between Iranian and French law regarding this rule, as well as any exceptions that may apply.

Literature Review

It seems there is no significant research on the rule of prior referral in Iran and France. However, procedural law texts contain discussions on exceptions of lis pendens and connexity. Moreover, in a Persian article titled “The Effect of the Relationship of Actions in Civil Trials”, Hassan-Zadeh (2015) addresses related disputes.

Materials and Methods

The present study used a descriptive–analytical approach and a library research method.

Results and Discussion

The rule of prior referral of cases in Iran’s procedural law was established by judges before being incorporated into legal texts. Iran’s Civil Procedure Code adopted in 2000 refers to the rule of prior referral of cases only in Article 227. There are differing opinions within the legal doctrine. However, Article 89 of the Civil Procedure Code and Article 13 of the 2013 Family Protection Act outline the procedures for joining the cases. Concerning the administrative procedure, Article 51 of the 2011 Law of Administrative Court of Justice (with the amendments introduced in 2023) incorporates the rule of prior referral as a principle for joining related lawsuits. The criminal procedure, due to its distinct nature, takes a different approach to joining cases, with the rule of prior referral applied only in limited circumstances. In the French procedural law of 1975, the rule of prior referral is applied specifically in the exception of lis pendens (Article 100) and the exception of connexity, where the court president refers related cases to one of the branches based on specific circumstances and conditions. This can be referred to as the rule of referral appropriateness. In the French Civil Procedure Code, when there are two related cases in different jurisdictions, the decision made by the jurisdiction that declines to hear the case first is binding on the other jurisdiction. If this decision is appealed, the appellate court may transfer the related cases to any jurisdiction it considers appropriate for joint investigation and adjudication. If the exception of lis pendens arises, the jurisdiction will be selected based on the rule of prior referral of cases. In contrast, Iran’s civil and administrative procedure laws do not mention the transfer of related cases from the initial court to the appellate court. Additionally, the civil and administrative procedure laws do not address the authority of the appellate court to refer related cases without regard to the rule of prior referral. The legal doctrines have differing opinions in this respect. In the criminal procedure, the application of the rule of prior referral of cases has different provisions compared to civil and administrative procedures. Moreover, the rules governing the application of the rule of prior referral also differ significantly in the criminal procedures of Iran and France.

Conclusion

According to the findings, that the application of the rule of prior referral in Iranian law is more effective than the rule of referral appropriateness, particularly when considering the circumstances surrounding the cases and the principles of functionality and speed.