Personal Honor and Reputation as a Ground for Restricting the Freedom of  Information, with reference to the Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and the Montenegrin Legal Order Cover Image

ЧАСТ И УГЛЕД ЉУДИ; КАО ОСНОВ ЗА ОГРАНИЧАВАЊЕ СЛОБОДЕ ИНФОРМИСАЊА; СА ОСВРТОМ НА ПРАКСУ ЕВРОПСКОГ СУДА ЗА ЉУДСКА ПРАВА И ПРАВО ЦРНЕ ГОРЕ
Personal Honor and Reputation as a Ground for Restricting the Freedom of Information, with reference to the Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and the Montenegrin Legal Order

Author(s): Ivana Jelić, Milorad Marković
Subject(s): Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, Media studies, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
Published by: Правни факултет Универзитета у Нишу
Keywords: freedom of information; honor; reputation; European standards; Montenegrin legal order

Summary/Abstract: The Constitution of Montenegro guarantees human dignity, respect of one’s privacy and family life, and freedom of expression. It also guarantees the respect of human personality and dignity in criminal or other proceedings, in case of detention or restriction of freedom of movement and in the course of serving a sentence. These rights are also guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which is an integral part of the Montenegrin legal order. Another source of law in Montenegro is the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, abounding with these human rights and freedoms.The violations of freedoms of expression and public information are primarily associated with the media, which play an important role in raising awareness about the democratic pluralism as a core value of the contemporary society. The latest amendments and supplements to the criminal legislation of Montenegro have decriminalized defamation and insult (offensive speech), thus providing the media and other public entities more freedom in disseminating information of public concern without fear of being subject to criminal liability.Yet, this does not exclude the civil liability for any damage caused by a violation of human dignity, personal honor and reputation, which is subject to litigation in a civil court of law.In this paper, the authors examine the balance between the normative framework and the practical application of these rights in the legal system of Montenegro, as compared to the European standards, primarily the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. In particular, the authors point to the fine line between the right to information and the protection of honor and reputation, which calls for due diligence and subtlety in regulating of these rights and enduring the constant compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights in terms of their implementation.

  • Issue Year: LXI/2012
  • Issue No: 61
  • Page Range: 332-352
  • Page Count: 22
  • Language: Serbian