Controlling COVID-19 Rumors Through Administrative Punishment: Empirical Evidence from Zhejiang, China

IF 1.8 4区社会学 Q2 CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY

Asian Journal of Criminology Pub Date : 2024-08-27 DOI:10.1007/s11417-024-09439-9

Yang Feng, Ke Li, Zhijian Wang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Utilizing 336 documents of administrative punishment decisions on fabricating COVID-19 rumors in Zhejiang province between December 2019 and December 2022, this article explores the effects of three sets of factors on the severity of administrative punishment. Empirical results suggest that administrative punishment for COVID-19 rumors is an ad hoc administrative measure only utilized in a state of emergency when the Chinese government implemented the “dynamic zero-case” policy. While it did not directly contravene existing Chinese laws, such a type of punishment practice represented the expansive trend of administrative punishment power. It caused tension with the current legal system. The expansion of administrative power manifested through the broadened scope of punishable false speech, lowered criteria of public order disruption, and lowered punishable criteria of offenders’ intent. Given that the Chinese society (as any other societies) periodically enters a state of emergency, it is necessary to consider how to maintain a dynamic balance between the abnormal exercise of administrative power and the protection of individual’s basic rights when the emergency reappears. This article advances the understanding of the dynamics surrounding administrative punishment for rumors and furnishes policy and legal recommendations for employing administrative measures in rumor control during national emergencies.

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通过行政处罚控制 COVID-19 谣言：来自中国浙江的经验证据

本文利用2019年12月至2022年12月期间浙江省336份关于编造COVID-19谣言的行政处罚决定书，探讨了三组因素对行政处罚严重程度的影响。实证结果表明，对COVID-19谣言的行政处罚是在中国政府实施 "动态零立案 "政策的紧急状态下才采取的临时行政措施。这种处罚方式虽然没有直接违反中国现行法律，但却代表了行政处罚权的扩张趋势。这与现行法律制度产生了矛盾。行政权的扩张表现为扩大了虚假言论的处罚范围，降低了扰乱公共秩序的标准，降低了对违法者故意的处罚标准。鉴于中国社会（与其他社会一样）会周期性地进入紧急状态，因此有必要考虑当紧急状态再次出现时，如何在行政权的畸形行使与个人基本权利的保护之间保持动态平衡。本文有助于加深对谣言行政处罚动态的理解，并为在国家紧急状态下运用行政措施控制谣言提供政策和法律建议。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Asian Journal of Criminology CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY-

CiteScore

3.00

自引率

10.50%

发文量

期刊介绍： Electronic submission now possible! Please see the Instructions for Authors. For general information about this new journal please contact the publisher at [welmoed.spahr@springer.com] The Asian Journal of Criminology aims to advance the study of criminology and criminal justice in Asia, to promote evidence-based public policy in crime prevention, and to promote comparative studies about crime and criminal justice. The Journal provides a platform for criminologists, policymakers, and practitioners and welcomes manuscripts relating to crime, crime prevention, criminal law, medico-legal topics and the administration of criminal justice in Asian countries. The Journal especially encourages theoretical and methodological papers with an emphasis on evidence-based, empirical research addressing crime in Asian contexts. It seeks to publish research arising from a broad variety of methodological traditions, including quantitative, qualitative, historical, and comparative methods. The Journal fosters a multi-disciplinary focus and welcomes manuscripts from a variety of disciplines, including criminology, criminal justice, law, sociology, psychology, forensic science, social work, urban studies, history, and geography.