People’s deputies decriminalized petty theft: what is known about the established threshold

On July 18, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a number of amendments to draft law No. 11068, which regulates the issue of administrative responsibility for petty theft of other people’s property and decriminalizes theft of up to 3,000 hryvnias. The move aims to reduce the burden on the criminal justice system and strengthen administrative accountability for minor offences. About this reported People’s Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak, noting that 243 deputies voted for the relevant amendments.

According to the new amendments, the threshold of criminal liability for theft has been increased from 302.8 to 3,000 hryvnias. This means that thefts in the amount of up to 3,000 hryvnias will now be classified as administrative offenses and not criminal offenses.

At the same time, administrative responsibility for petty theft has been strengthened. If earlier such violations were subject to smaller fines, now for theft up to 757 hryvnias a fine of 850 to 1,700 hryvnias is provided. If the stolen amount is between 758 and 3028 hryvnias, the fine will be between 1700 and 5100 hryvnias. In case of repeated theft, the fine increases significantly – from 8,500 to 17,000 hryvnias.

According to the explanatory note, since Ukraine is under martial law, the commission of theft is automatically qualified under the fourth part of Article 185 of the Criminal Code, which provides for a penalty of five to eight years of imprisonment. Because of this, sentences appear in the court register, such as five years of probation for stealing a bottle of alcohol or baby diapers, which is disproportionate to the offense committed.

The new law is designed to balance the system of punishments for minor offenses, reduce the burden on criminal justice and at the same time strengthen responsibility for administrative offenses. These changes are expected to help fight petty theft more effectively and streamline the work of law enforcement agencies.