The Crime of Offending Religious Feelings - Legal Analysis

This paper presents a legal analysis of the crime stipulated in Art. 196 of the Criminal Code. Due to the limited framework of this study, the author confines her reflections to the analysis of the views of legal scholars and commentators on the subject matter and subject of protection and the material and personal side of the crime of offending religious feelings. Moreover, the author points to the lack of a statutory definition of the term "religious feelings," demonstrating at the same time the legal consequences of such a state of affairs. The author postulates that Art. 196 of the Criminal Code be amended in terms of the concept analysed, pointing to the need to establish a legal definition of the term "religious feelings" or to exchange it with a concept defined so as to rule out freedom in interpretation of the scope of subject matter of protection under Art. 196 of the Criminal Code.