Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

The Challenge of Proving Mens Rea in Crimes Committed through Artificial Intelligence and the Transition toward Risk-Based Liability in Islamic Jurisprudence and Criminal Law

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Seyyed Ali Mirlohi
PhD Student in Jurisprudence and Law, Shahid Motahari University and Higher School, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/jclc.2025.538963.2149
Abstract
The emergence of autonomous artificial intelligence has confronted traditional criminal law, historically premised upon the centrality of mens rea, with a profound conceptual and doctrinal crisis. Since the attribution and proof of criminal intent in relation to an entity lacking consciousness, volition, or legal personhood appears practically impossible, this development has generated a significant accountability gap capable of undermining both victims’ rights and public order. In response to this challenge, the present study adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology to examine whether a transition from the paradigm of person-centered criminal liability toward the attribution of liability to the relevant human actor, particularly the developer or operator, on the basis of a risk-based liability model may constitute an effective solution within the framework of Imāmī Islamic jurisprudence and Iranian criminal law. Findings indicate that such a transition is not merely a practical necessity, but is also theoretically and doctrinally defensible. The proposed model derives support from well-established principles of Imāmī jurisprudence, including the doctrines of causation (tasbīb), the prohibition of harm (lā ḍarar), strict proprietary liability (ḍamān al-yad), and the usūlī analysis of constructive or aggregate knowledge (ʿilm ijmālī). Moreover, the model is compatible with the normative capacities of Iranian positive law, including Article 40 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Article 143 of the Islamic Penal Code, and the legislative practice reflected in certain special statutory regimes. Ultimately, the study argues that, by moving beyond the ineffective attempt to identify or reconstruct the mind of the machine (algorithmic mens rea) and instead focusing on the hazard-creating human conduct involved in the design, development, deployment, and distribution of artificial intelligence systems, a more coherent and equitable framework for criminal liability in the age of artificial intelligence may be achieved.
Keywords
Artificial Intelligence
Criminal Liability
Mens Rea
Risk-Based Liability
Imāmī Islamic Jurisprudence
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Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology
Volume 14, Issue 28
Spring 2026
Pages 75-100