Analysis of Public Interest as A Means of Eliminating Criminal Actions in The Offence of Defamation Through Facebook Media (Study of Decision No. 84/Pid.Sus/2024/PN TNN)

Defamation or insult frequently occurs on social media platforms such as Facebook. In the ruling of Case Number 84/Pid.Sus/2024/PN Tnn, the defendant was accused of defaming a public figure. However, the exception of public interest can serve as grounds for eliminating the qualification of a criminal act for defamation, as stipulated in Article 310 paragraph (3) of the Indonesian Criminal Code. This paper focuses on analyze the public interest as a reason for eliminating criminal penalties in criminal acts of defamation which is studied based on the decision of the Tondano District Court Number 84/Pid.Sus/2024/PN Tnn. This study uses secondary data consisting of primary legal materials, namely Law No. 19 of 2016 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions and the Criminal Code, as well as relevant secondary legal materials The results indicate the importance of a thorough interpretation of the public interest exception in defamation cases to ensure that judges appropriately impose criminal penalties on offenders.