A draft law on slander canceled?

October 2, 2012

October 2, 2012 the Parliament of Ukraine adopted a resolution “On the cancellation of the decision of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the first reading of the draft Law of Ukraine” On Amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine to strengthen responsibility for offending the honor, dignity and business reputation of Rights” No. 11255, introduced by the author of the bill on libel Vitali Zhuravsky.

According to a draft resolution deputies had to withdraw the draft Law of Ukraine on Amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine to strengthen responsibility for offending the honor, dignity and business reputation of a person and to recognize out of validity the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on September 18, 2012 № 5273-VI «on adoption of the Draft Law of Ukraine on Amendments to the Criminal and Criminal procedural Code of Ukraine on greater responsibility of offending the honor, dignity and business reputation of a person.”

However, the question remains according to which norm of the Rules of the Parliament procedure the bill was abolished, because after the first reading deputies can cancel the bill as the one that lost its validity (Part 2 of Article 95), or cancel it in connection with violation of procedures for the approval in the first reading (Article 48). Yet, neither in draft resolution, nor in shorthand report, grounds for cancellation were not mentioned.