UnderImprovement: the Parliament has maintained most provisions of the so-called Lozovyi’s amendment in effect and promised a “comprehensive draft law.” At the same time, the NABU and the SIB have been granted the right to “wiretapping.”

The Parliament voted for draft law No. 1009, which was supposed to improve the Criminal Procedural Code. What do we have now?

The most important changes we were expecting: the right to “wiretapping” granted to the NABU, abolishment of Lozovyi’s amendment, abolishment of provisions pertaining to MP immunity.

MPs abolished only one clause of Lozovyi’s amendment: monopoly of public institutions for forensic review. The remaining ones have been “suspended,” with MPs promising a comprehensive draft law on changes in the Criminal Procedural Code.

Transparency International Ukraine has reiterated multiple times the potential dangers of provisions on calculation of the pretrial investigation period and the option to dispute serving with charges. And yet…

There are certain actual improvements, too.

The NABU and the SIB have been granted the right to independent interception of telecommunications. The risky phrase “pursuant to the procedure established by the law” was not supported, even though the committee recommended approving the text in that version. TI Ukraine believes that this wording would create loopholes for many stakeholders.

P.S. The provisions on the status of people’s deputy which were supposed to fully strip MPs of immunity were removed from the draft law.

array(3) { ["quote_image"]=> bool(false) ["quote_text"]=> string(237) "MPs abolished only one clause of Lozovyi's amendment: monopoly of public institutions for forensic review. The remaining ones have been "suspended," with MPs promising a comprehensive draft law on changes in the Criminal Procedural Code." ["quote_author"]=> string(0) "" }

MPs abolished only one clause of Lozovyi's amendment: monopoly of public institutions for forensic review. The remaining ones have been "suspended," with MPs promising a comprehensive draft law on changes in the Criminal Procedural Code.