In the first reading, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported draft law No. 11068, which proposes significant changes in the definition of criminal liability for theft.
About this informs Deputy Yaroslav Zhelezniak.
The main provisions of the draft law:
- Increasing the threshold of criminal responsibility: the amount of stolen property, for which criminal punishment is provided, will increase from UAH 302.80 to UAH 4,552.
- Fines for petty theft will increase from UAH 1,700 to UAH 8,500.
- The bill aims to replace imprisonment with fines for petty theft, especially in wartime conditions.
Justification of changes:
The authors of the draft law argue for the need for changes by the fact that the current legislation provides for severe punishments (up to 8 years of imprisonment) for thefts of even small value committed during the war. This leads to an overburdened judicial system and disproportionate punishment for minor offences.
Crime statistics:
According to the data provided in the explanatory note to the draft law, in 2023 more than 82,000 criminal proceedings were registered under Article 185 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (theft), which indicates the urgency of the problem.
Further steps:
The draft law must pass a second reading in the Verkhovna Rada and be signed by the President before it enters into force.
