The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is on the way to the decriminalization of theft: what is expected from the innovations

On May 22, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted as a basis a draft law that provides for significant changes in the field of criminal liability for property theft. According to the proposed legislation, theft of property worth up to 4,552 hryvnias will be punished exclusively administratively.

People's deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a representative of the "Voice" faction, informs about this.

"The Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law #11068 on the decriminalization of property theft up to 4,552 hryvnias as a basis. 265 votes were in favor of the first," he said in his official message.

According to the explanatory note to the draft law, criminal liability for theft of someone else's property will remain if its value exceeds the sum of three tax-free minimum incomes of citizens. For 2024, this threshold is 4,552 hryvnias.

The new legislative initiatives also provide for significant fines for petty theft. For example, for theft of property in the amount from 757 to 4542 hryvnias, the fine can be from 850 to 5100 hryvnias. In case of repeated violation, the amount of the fine will increase to 5100-8500 hryvnias.

Today, thefts are automatically qualified under Part 4 of Article 185 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine due to the state of war in the country. This can lead to serious legal consequences for guilty persons, including deprivation of liberty for a period of 5 to 8 years.

Experts from the Scientific and Expert Department of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine believe that the current threshold for criminal liability is too low in accordance with modern realities. However, the implementation of the proposed changes will require additional corrections in a number of articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The new initiative is seen as an attempt to balance the legal field and ensure an adequate response to offenses in the conditions when the country is on the front line of military operations.