编造、故意传播虚假疫情信息行为的司法认定

Judicial Judgment of Fabricating and Intentionally Disseminating False NCP Information

疫情期间,公众容易因为相关信息掌握的缺失而产生不安全感,而此种不安全感则会促使虚假信息的产生与传播。《关于依法惩治妨害新型冠状病毒感染肺炎疫情防控违法犯罪的意见》中指出要依法严惩造谣传谣犯罪,对于相关行为作为编造、故意传播虚假信息罪加以处理。反观该罪自《刑法修正案(九)》颁布以后,一直未有相关的司法解释出台,致使司法实践在适用产生混乱。编造、传播虚假信息罪的定罪标准,应从主客观两个方面出发对该罪的适用范围进行限定。从客观方面,首先,应当限定“虚假信息”的含义范围。对于与事实之间虽存在偏差,但不足以产生对基础事实“质”的错误认识的信息不认定为刑法中的“虚假信息”。其次应明确编造、传播行为之间的关系。在此基础之上确系传播行为的对象范围。再次,要注重“严重破坏社会秩序”作为危害结果的限定作用。并在其中强调对社会公共秩序的公权力运行侧面与公众生活侧面的同等重视。从主观方面,应当认为本罪故意认识因素中的“明知”既包括确实知道,也包括应当知道。在疫情防控期间,对于传播虚假信息的行为而言,对其主观故意的认定应当予以严格限制。

During the NCP,the public is prone to insecurity due to the lack of relevant information,which can promote the fabrication and dissemination of false information.The Opinions on Punishment of the Crime of Prevention and Control of the Pneumonia Epidemic Containing the New Coronavirus points out that the crime of fabricating and disseminating rumor should be severely punished according to law,and the related acts should be punished as the crime of fabricating and inten⁃tionally spreading false information.On the other hand,since the promulgation of the Criminal Law Amendment(9),there has been no relevant judicial interpretation,causing confusion in judicial practice.The application scope of this crime should be limited from subjective and objective aspects.From objective aspect,the definition of false information should be limited at first.The information deviating from the facts but with no effect on understanding basic facts should not be recog⁃nized as false information in the criminal law.Secondly,the relationship between fabrication and dissemination should be clarified,and then the object range of dissemination should be defined.Thirdly,the effect of“seriously destroying the so⁃cial order”as the result of harm should be paid attention to because public power operation and public life should be empha⁃sized equally.From subjective aspect,the“aware”in the intentional cognition factors mean“do know”and“should know”as well.In the prevention and control of NCP,the identification of subjective intention for disseminating false information should be strictly confined.