The Institute of Legislative Ideas shared its developments for the new draft law on the criminalisation of sanctions violation
On 23 October, the National Academy of the Security Service of Ukraine hosted a presentation of a new draft law aimed at criminalizing sanctions violations and circumvention. This draft law, developed by the Institute of Legislative Ideas, provides for new provisions in the Criminal Code of Ukraine aimed at strengthening national security and bringing Ukraine closer to international standards of sanctions policy.
The presentation brought together more than 100 representatives of government agencies and NGOs, including experts from the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Economy, the National Bank, the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, and other agencies. Tetyana Khutor, Head of the ILI, and Mykola Rubashchenko, legal analyst, presented the draft law. They shared their experience and the importance of a new approach to combating sanctions violations.
Tetyana Khutor emphasized that the new draft law proposes criminal liability for both intentional and negligent violations of sanctions, as well as for circumvention of sanctions. According to her, this step is necessary to ensure the country's security, especially in strengthening the sanctions policy, which has become a priority in the European integration issue. She also noted that similar approaches have already been successfully implemented in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the EU.
Mykola Rubashchenko, an expert on sanctions regulation, added that the draft law provides for the introduction of new articles to the Criminal Code that clearly define both the violation of sanctions and their circumvention. He also noted that it is necessary to regulate this issue at the national level to achieve maximum effectiveness of sanctions. The expert cited examples from international practice, emphasizing that a proper legal framework would help Ukraine strengthen its sanctions policy.
"It is necessary to strike a balance between the inevitability of liability for violations and the principle of economy of criminal repression. Therefore, not every violation of sanctions should be criminalized." - Mykola Rubashchenko.
Thus, the adoption of this draft law will bring Ukraine closer to international standards, strengthening its sanctions policy and ensuring efficiency and security in state processes.