KYIV — A massive legislative effort to modernize Ukraine’s legal framework has ignited a wave of public protests and a high-stakes debate over the future of civil liberties in the country. The draft Civil Code, a monumental document exceeding 800 pages, aims to “de-Sovietize” Ukrainian law and align it with European Union standards, yet critics warn it contains provisions that could undermine privacy, property rights, and the progress of the LGBTQ+ community.
The bill, which passed its first reading in late April, is intended to consolidate several existing legal frameworks, including the Family and Economic Codes. Its primary architect, Parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, defends the reforms as a necessary step toward transparency and modernization. However, activists and legal experts have likened the document’s more controversial clauses to a horror novel, suggesting the deeper one reads, the more alarming it becomes.
Controversy Over “Traditional Values” and LGBTQ+ Rights One of the most contentious aspects of the new code involves the definition of family. While it introduces the concept of a “factual family union,” it explicitly restricts this definition to a union between a man and a woman. Human rights organizations, such as ZMINA, argue this “locks in” discriminatory practices and prevents courts from ever recognizing same-sex couples, directly contradicting Ukraine’s commitments to the EU. Furthermore, the code proposes the automatic annulment of a marriage if one partner undergoes a gender transition.
The “Right to be Forgotten” and Anti-Corruption Concerns The draft also introduces a “right to be forgotten,” allowing individuals to demand the deletion of personal information from public sources if it is deemed to have “lost public interest”. While framed as a protection for ordinary citizens, investigative journalists and anti-corruption activists fear it will serve as a loophole for officials to scrub their records of past scandals. Similarly, new restrictions on filming individuals at public events—requiring explicit consent even in public spaces—have raised alarms about the future of transparency and investigative reporting.
Family Law and Property Rights The proposed changes to family law have drawn sharp criticism from women’s rights groups. Notable provisions include:
- Alimony Restrictions: A parent could seek to cancel alimony payments if they prove the other parent’s income is sufficient to cover the child’s needs.
- Mandatory Reconciliation: Courts would be obligated to seek a six-month reconciliation period for divorcing couples, a change from the current law where such a period is optional.
- Reclaiming Surnames: In a move described as archaic by critics, the code would allow a man to sue to “take back” his surname from a former wife if she is judged to have behaved “immorally” after the divorce.
Additionally, property rights experts warn of a “raider’s loophole” regarding adverse possession. The code suggests that individuals openly using someone else’s property for a set period (5 to 10 years) could automatically claim ownership. This is particularly concerning for the millions of Ukrainians currently displaced by the war, who may find their homes legally claimed by others in their absence.
Public Outcry and Political Defense The backlash has been swift. A petition urging President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to intervene gained over 29,000 signatures in just 24 hours. Protest leader Khrystyna Morozova emphasized that the President, as the guarantor of the constitution and EU integration, “can no longer remain silent”.
In defense of the bill, supporters like MP Mykola Kniazhytskyi argue that the 2003 code is hopelessly outdated in the age of digital commerce and social media. Speaker Stefanchuk has dismissed much of the criticism as “manipulation,” noting that controversial points will be refined during the second reading. For now, however, the document remains a symbol of the tension between Ukraine’s drive for European integration and the internal struggle over its legal and social identity.