CRIMINAL LAW PROTECTION OF HONOUR, DIGNITY AND REPUTATION FROM ILLICIT DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRIVATE LIFE OF AN INDIVIDUAL

Abstract

The paper focuses on criminal law protection of honour and dignity from the illicit dissemination of information about the private life of an individual. Privacy is guaranteed by the fundamental law, the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The dissemination of information about an individual’s private life without their knowledge or consent may harm their honour, dignity and business reputation. The current criminal law does not contain a norm that specifies a criminal attack on an individual’s honour, dignity and reputation by spreading information about their private life in the media. This study aims to identify the most common ways of intruding privacy and thus disparaging the person’s honour, dignity and reputation. The methods applied include analysis, synthesis and the method of comparative law. The study can be used in law enforcement, research and teaching. The author concludes that legislators should criminalize particular cases of infringement on honour, dignity and reputation of an individual through the dissemination of information about their private life.