The Crime of False Reporting in Yemeni Law "A Comparative Study"

Abstract

The crime of false reporting is a serious and widespread offense. This research explores the concept of false reporting, its elements, and the penalties stipulated for it in Yemeni, Egyptian, and Emirati criminal law. We conclude that false reporting can be defined as: "Deliberately providing false information with the intent to harm a competent judicial or administrative authority regarding a matter that warrants criminal or disciplinary punishment."​Through this research, we identify the rationale for criminalizing false reporting, which is twofold: it constitutes an attack on the honor and reputation of individuals, and it also harms society by disrupting the functioning of public services. We distinguish false reporting from similar crimes such as defamation and disturbing public order. We also concluded in this research that the crime of false reporting requires that it be directed to a specific entity, namely (the judicial authorities or the competent administrative authorities). As for the legislative authority, a false report directed to it does not constitute the crime of false reporting. In this research, we mentioned a set of results and recommendations for the Yemeni criminal legislator, with regard to the crime of false reporting from all its objective aspects.