Divine Paralegal Services: know and exercise your constitutional rights

30/07/2026

13/03/2025

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09/12/2022

A person values not only his physical integrity (i.e, freedom from physical attacks by others), but also his personality rights, which include his right to dignity and privacy. It is well known that insults to a person’s dignity are regarded by him in just as serious a light as insults to his physical integrity. The criminal law punishes not only violations of a person’s physical integrity (under the heading of “assault”), but also violations of certain rights to personality. The last-mentioned violations are punished under the headings of “crimen iniuria” and “criminal defamation”.

Distinction between crimen injuria and criminal defamation

● In the case of crimen injuria, violations of a person’s dignity and privacy are
made punishable.
● In the case of criminal defamation, violations of a person’s good name or
reputation are made punishable.

In order to distinguish between crimen injuria and criminal defamation, it is therefore important to keep in mind the distinction between dignity and privacy on the one hand and reputation (or “good name”) on the other.