Verkhovna Rada finally restricts MPs' parliamentary immunity
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (VRU) approved bill No. 2237, which amends legislation to restrict MPs' parliamentary immunity, in its second reading.
As reported by Censor.NET correspondent.
During the revision for the second reading, the bill stipulated that the people's deputies were not legally responsible not only for the results of voting or expression in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and its bodies, but also during the discharge of their parliamentary powers. This rule was one of the most debatable, however, it was endorsed by 326 votes.
"In this case, the interpretation of the amendment is as it follows: MPs are not legally responsible for the results of voting or expression, where - in the VRU and its bodies, as well as during the discharge of their parliamentary powers, except the responsibility for the insulting and libeling, the last phrase refers to the question of expression," the chairman of the Committee on Law Enforcement Activities, People's Deputy from Servant of the People party, Denys Monastyrskyi explained.
The pre-trial investigation of criminal offenses, allegedly committed by people's deputies, will be carried out by the pre-trial investigation bodies of National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the central office of State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
The document stipulates that the Prosecutor General or the person performing his duties supports an application for the detention, arrest or house arrest, search, wiretap, including conducting unspoken investigative actions against the deputies.
Appropriate appeals will be considered by the investigating judge of the appeal court within the territorial jurisdiction of the body of the pretrial investigation (expect for unspoken investigating actions). Concerning the criminal proceedings assigned to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court – the investigating judge of the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court.
