“Domostroi” Instead of Reforms: Ukrainians Back Petition Against New Civil Code
13 May 09:37
The majority of Ukrainians do not support the proposed amendments to the Civil Code. Public dissatisfaction was also evident in a petition that was successfully registered on the Ukrainian president’s website on the second attempt. People called for the prevention of the adoption of the provisions of Bill No. 15150. In less than a day, the petition gathered the number of votes required for consideration, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to the platform on the president’s website, the petition was submitted on May 12, and in less than a day it gathered the 25,000 votes required for consideration.
“On April 9, 2026, a draft of the new Civil Code of Ukraine was registered on the Verkhovna Rada’s website. This document will not only determine how Ukrainian society will live in the coming decades but will also show whether Ukraine is moving toward the European Union or the Customs Union. Unfortunately, the Code has already received significant backlash from broad segments of society, garnered a series of negative assessments from the legal and human rights communities, and sparked protests in various cities across Ukraine,” the petition states.
The author of the petition believes that the draft Civil Code (Bill No. 15150) “takes Ukrainian society back to the days of ‘domostroi,’ makes the institution of marriage less attractive, and instead of providing legal protection, creates a number of risks for spouses.”
Watch us on YouTube: important topics – without censorship
In this regard, she asks the president to appeal to parliament and Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk to withdraw the document from consideration as one that contradicts human rights and Ukraine’s integration into the EU, and, if it is adopted, to veto it.
In the petition, the author also calls on the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Justice to work together with human rights organizations, professional communities, and civil society to develop comprehensive amendments to Ukraine’s civil legislation that will meet European integration requirements and ensure the expansion and observance of human rights, particularly the rights of women, children, LGBT individuals, people with disabilities, as well as military personnel and veterans.
As reported, during its plenary session on April 28, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading the draft Civil Code of Ukraine (Bill No. 15150) as a basis, which has drawn criticism from the legal community, the business sector, and the public.
The New Civil Code No. 15150
Bill No. 15150 is an attempt at a comprehensive overhaul of Ukraine’s civil legislation. The Civil Code is one of the state’s fundamental legislative acts and regulates:
- property rights;
- contracts;
- family and inheritance relations;
- the status of individuals and legal entities;
- issues of compensation for damages;
- private law relations between citizens, businesses, and the state.
The current Civil Code of Ukraine was adopted in 2003 and is considered one of the cornerstones of Ukrainian private law since independence. The new draft, according to its authors, is intended to adapt civil legislation to modern realities and EU law; however, even at the registration stage, it has sparked a widespread debate among lawyers, human rights advocates, and civil society organizations.
Critics of the document point to the risks of overly broad and discretionary language, a potential narrowing of human rights, and increased scope for judicial interpretation of the provisions.
Supporters of the reform, on the other hand, insist that updating the code is necessary due to the outdated nature of the current version and the need to harmonize Ukrainian law with European standards.
Read us on Telegram: important topics – without censorship
