Document Type : Research/Original/Regular Article
Authors
Abstract
With the advent and development of information and communication technology, human life has undergone fundamental changes. Some human behaviors which have been traditionally criminalized in every society, today take place in the form of criminal ideas in a language specific to the computer systems or through online network. Thus there is a new world called cyberspace in which traditional boundaries have become meaningless. Perhaps some crimes against persons are planned and committed far from the residence of the victims or it is possible that ones’ usual means of everyday life are used as criminal tool against him/her or others. Today, cyber terrorism as an international crime has become the subject matter of controversies among international lawyers and the main question in this context is determining the courts’ jurisdiction which in turn poses another question as to application of procedural law rules in this respect. Traditional rules and principles regarding jurisdiction have been challenged by criminal acts which are committed through cyberspace. This paper seeks to provide an appropriate answer to the question that in the case of transnational cyber-crimes, how and to what extent courts of a given State may claim and exercise jurisdiction and on the other hand in the case of conflict of jurisdiction which rule or rules should apply to resolve such a conflict. Providing an appropriate answer to the question requires dwelling on international standards governing conflict of jurisdictions and studying practices of those states which are pioneers in combat against cyber-crimes.
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