Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities

The right of prisoners to run away from jails and the right of governments to confront with them in the Corona pandemic situation in the light of Hobbes political philosophy

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Author

M. Yekrangi

Assistant Professor, Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22035/isih.2020.3943.4052
Abstract
The pandemic of coronavirus in 2019-20 influenced different aspects of human beings' lives such as education, business, economy, culture, medical care, and consequently their fundamental thoughts were the subjects to be revised. Philosophy of criminal justice was not an exception. Since many inmates escaped from multi jails in Iran in this period, the philosophy of law faced the heated widespread debates on the right of internee to get out and the right of the government to confront with them as a citizen or enemy. The question was this: due to the fear of the Coronavirus and the death, if the prisoners have the right to flee and if the government has the right to oppose them. If yes, what are the foundations of their rights? The paper scrutinizes these issues in the light of Thomas Hobbes's political philosophy because he insisted on the right of government on the one hand and the criminal's rights to resist punishment on the other hand. Finally, the paper concludes that the prisoners have the right to run away in the corona pandemic situation, but their rights should be interpreted in the meaning of right/privilege, not right/claim; and governments have the right to oppose them in the meaning of right/power.

Keywords

Coronavirus
criminal policy
political philosophy
prison break
social contract

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 19 April 2020
  • Revise Date 30 April 2020
  • Accept Date 14 June 2020

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