The emergence of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus at the end of 2019 brought also (criminal) law issues to the fore. This master thesis provides an overview of the issue of endangering other people with a contagious disease from the perspective of criminal law. When speaking of putting someone at risk in criminal law, we refer to an attempt and offences which criminalize endangering. The once-majority view that infection alone constitutes bodily harm is being increasingly criticized. The use of attempted bodily harm in practice is limited in any case. There is no criminal offence for endangering the physical integrity of an individual within Slovenian law. Additionally, the fundamental criminal offence of causing general danger is not an option in cases of individual endangerment. This offence is also not applicable in case of endangering more than one person, as incrimination requires causing danger to life, which may not necessarily occur. Due to the requirement to spread the contagious disease, the criminal offence of transmitting infectious diseases does not provide a basis for sanctioning either. Therefore, there is no adequate legal basis for punishing both the intentional and negligent exposing of other people to a contagious disease. There seems to be no legal obstacles to criminalize such practices. The issue of need and the interest of the legislator are more relevant. There are several options for creating incrimination, depending on which legal good we would like to protect with it and whether we want to criminalize causing a concrete danger or perhaps also causing an abstract danger. To prepare the incrimination, examining the criminal law of other countries could be helpful.
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