Ukrainian civil society urges parliament not to adopt new Civil Code draft
More than 40 civil society organizations and media outlets called on Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada to reject draft Civil Code No. 15150 in second reading and halt its advancement in its current form. They support modernization but argue it should be carried out through amendments to the existing code or separate, coordinated legislative packages. A petition against adoption collected more than 29,000 signatures, while the Council of Europe and the International Press Institute have also raised concerns about the draft.
Key points
- More than 40 civil society organizations and media outlets signed a joint statement opposing adoption of draft Civil Code No. 15150.
- A petition to Ukraine's president against adopting the draft gathered the required 25,000 signatures in less than a day and more than 29,000 overall.
- The Verkhovna Rada supported draft No. 15150 in first reading on 28 April 2026.
- Signatories say the draft creates risks for free speech, privacy, the rights of women, children and LGBTİ+ people, and the protection of public, communal and private property.
- The Council of Europe said the draft contains shortcomings that need to be corrected; the International Press Institute urged parliament to remove provisions that could endanger investigative journalism and free speech.
- Signatories proposed an independent legal review and broader participation by judges, lawyers, academics and civil society organizations.
- Ukraine's current Civil Code has been in force for more than 22 years, during which courts built extensive practice relied on by citizens, businesses, lawyers and the state.
Why it matters
The proposal replaces Ukraine's civil code wholesale, potentially affecting free speech, privacy, equality-related rights and property protection. It could also unsettle established judicial conclusions, create contradictions in court practice, lengthen dispute resolution and require years before courts settle the interpretation of disputed new rules. The debate therefore concerns not only the content of the draft but also how Ukraine modernizes civil law and aligns it with European standards. Because parliament already approved the draft in first reading, the objections could directly shape its further consideration.
What happened
Civil society organizations and media outlets called on the Verkhovna Rada not to adopt draft Civil Code No. 15150 in second reading or in full, and to stop advancing it in the proposed form. The draft had been submitted to parliament by its chair, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and was supported in first reading on 28 April 2026. Signatories said they support modernization of civil legislation but favor separate bills or mutually coordinated blocks of amendments to the existing code. They also called for an independent legal assessment of the proposed changes, including their impact on human rights, court practice, legal certainty and Ukraine's European integration commitments. A petition opposing adoption gathered the required 25,000 signatures in under a day and more than 29,000 signatures in total.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage focuses on the joint call by civil society and media against adopting the draft and on the parliamentary procedures required to amend or modernize civil law. It gives substantial attention to the established judicial practice built around the current code and the disruption a complete replacement could cause. Risks highlighted include restrictions on speech, privacy, equality-related rights, property protection, public ownership and environmental provisions.
How international sources describe it
International organizations are presented as external assessors of the draft. The Council of Europe identified shortcomings that need correction, while the International Press Institute urged the Verkhovna Rada to remove provisions that could endanger investigative journalism and free speech. Academic criticism also frames the environmental provisions as potentially inconsistent with established international, national and European legal standards.
Background
Ukraine's current Civil Code has been applied for more than 22 years. During that period, courts developed a substantial body of practice relied upon by citizens, businesses, lawyers and the state, providing predictability in legal relations and helping people understand how their rights are protected. The Supreme Court has warned that forming settled practice for disputed new provisions may take many years, and has identified stability of civil turnover as a foundational principle of civil law. A complete replacement could put the applicability of established legal conclusions in doubt and increase the duration of court proceedings.