Criminal Liability of Artists for Offences against Religious Feelings

The article focuses on the possibility of excluding criminal liability of artists for their conduct which bears the attributes of an offence against religious feelings and which is a manifestation of their artistic expression. The existing conceptions of a non-legal justification based on art are analysed. The article also deals with the importance of the right enjoyed by journalists to publish negative appraisals of creative, professional and public acts, and its impact on the assessment of the punishability of a conduct that insults religious feelings. Also, reference is made to the possibility of evoking a justification by the injured party’s consent in the case of an offence against religious feelings, especially in a situation when the victim comes into contact with the offensive content deliberately and voluntarily. The dogmatic considerations are supplemented with a presentation of court rulings that are relevant to the study