Summary

As a result of a conviction of a journalist for defamation in all three court instances of the Republic of Estonia, discussions are being held whether the section concerning defamation should be omitted from the Criminal Code. The article focuses on the content of honour and dignity as interpreted in the legal context of Continental Europe. Further, crimes against honour and dignity are analysed based on theory and legislation. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between the freedom of press and protection of honour and dignity. In Estonia, there is currently no law to prescribe liability of journalists. However, the author is of the opinion that although at present there is no balance between the freedom of expression and protection of honour and dignity in Estonia, they are not mutually exclusive phenomena.