False Information in Criminal Law: Categories of Deliberate Falsity and Unreliability

The paper examines the subjective side of disseminating information that does not correspond to reality. For those provisions of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation that indicate only one of two characteristics—falsity or unreliability—their content should be distinguished. The sign of deliberate falsity indicates precise knowledge that the information is false; the sign of deliberate unreliability reflects the assumption of correspondence or discrepancy with reality. Insufficient verification or selective examination of sources can only be attributed to unreliability. Deliberate falsity cannot be established solely on the basis that information does not correspond to certain sources, even if the sources are official. The establishment of the characteristics of disseminated information must take place in two stages: an assessment of the objective correspondence or discrepancy with reality, followed by an assessment of the subjective perception of the distributor. The basis for the conclusions for the articles of the criminal law on «fake» news is in the doctrine of defamation, for which the concept of deliberate falsity is central. At the same time, when establishing the intent to disseminate false information, one should not use the category of honest error: it contradicts the stable requirement of direct intent for defamation and is not actually supported by practice, even if the court mentions such wording in the decision. In general, administrative and civil liability mechanisms are preferable for the dissemination of false information; in the sphere of criminal law, only knowingly false dissemination should be criminalized, since the limits of accepting truth or falsity may vary, and a variety of sources and discussion are necessary for social development.

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