The president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed the law “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Protection of Public Morality”, which creates preconditions for liquidation of the National Expert Commission on the Protection of Public Morality. It was reported by UNIAN.
At the presidential website it is stated that according to the law No. 173-VIII as of February 10, from the law “On Protection of Public Morality” are being eliminated paragraphs determining the status and principles of the activities of the National Expert Commission on the Protection of Public Morality.
Thus, monitoring of compliance with the legislation in the sphere of protection of public morality within the limits of their competence shall execute Ministry of Internal Affairs, the central executive agency that implements the state policy in the sphere of culture, the central executive body that implements the state policy in the field of cinematography, the central executive body that implements the state tax policy, state policy in the field of customs, state policy in the field of fighting against crime when applying tax and customs legislation, the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine and the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting.
On the 10th of February 2015 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine made changes to the Law “On Protection of Public Morality”, which stipulates liquidation of the National Expert Commission on the Protection of Public Morality as a state body. This decision was voted by 245 MPs.
According to conclusion of the Ministry of Justice, this commission “has no distinct subject of regulation and only duplicates the functions of other state bodies”. The author of the amendment on liquidation of the National Commission, an MP Olga Chervakovka stated that in the country there are 9 state bodies regulating the issues related to public morality. At the same time the examination of the Commission were “legally worthless, and they could not have been applied to any administrative or a criminal case”.
Meanwhile for the final liquidation of the National Expert Commission on the Protection of Public Morality still needs to be followed by corresponding decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
After the Verkhovna Rada had adopted the law on liquidation of the National Expert Commission on the Protection of Public Morality, the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and other religious organizations expressed concern about “the lack of dialogue with the Parliament on this and other issues”. On the eve of the voting heads of churches and religious organizations appealed to the factions with the request to not support the draft law in order to hold a wide public discussion on appropriateness of liquidation of the “National Morality Commission”. Since the deputies ignored this suggestion, the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches stated that they would ask the president not to rush with signing of the adopted law to conduct a discussion in the format of roundtable to consider the opinion of the general public and not just of media business only. Apparently, the president did not hear.
The adopted law allows distribution of the products of a sexual or erotic nature, in particular printed products and polygraphy, without a conclusion of the National Commission. Entertainment events of such a nature will also be able to be held without control by the National Commission. Also its resolution won’t be no longer required to sale, rent and publicly demonstrate in cinemas and video halls of audio, radio, film and other video products of a sexual nature or with elements of erotic.
Автор: Sofa Hadashot
