The New Civil Code 2026: Kachka has announced that the debate will be complex
Taras Kachka made this statement during a briefing in Kyiv, according to RBC-Ukraine.
The new version of the Civil Code of Ukraine will be finalised before the second reading. According to Taras Kachka, the period between the first and second readings should be used to make the necessary amendments.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that “truly complex and inclusive debates” must take place before the vote in the second reading. He said that preparing the document would take several months, as the legitimacy of the Civil Code and private law in general depends on how the public perceives this document.
“So now is precisely the time between the first and second readings to add the necessary amendments, and they will be introduced, and before the vote in the second reading there will be truly complex and inclusive debates. It will take several months before it is ready, because the only way to ensure the legitimacy of the Civil Code and private law in general is for it to be accepted by society,” said Kachka.
What exactly sparked the debate
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, most of the critical comments regarding the new draft of the Civil Code relate to the book on family law.
Kachka also stated that the discussion of the draft actually helps to summarise and systematise the issues that require regulation in Ukrainian legislation.
“All these issues are largely related to family law and discrimination, and we, as the government, are genuinely committed to ensuring that all these matters are properly addressed by Ukrainian legislation,” he emphasised.
The European Union Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, stated that the European side is analysing the draft Civil Code. She also noted that she is reassured by the fact that there is sufficient time for proper analysis and consultation.
What does draft law No. 15150 provide for?
On 28 April 2026, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading, as a basis, the draft Civil Code of Ukraine, registered under No. 15150. The aim of the document is the recodification and systematic updating of private, i.e. civil, law in Ukraine.
The parliament’s website states that the draft is intended to form a new Civil Code as a coherent, internally consistent and effective codified act.
To this end, it is proposed to update the main institutions of private law in nine mutually consistent books of the new code, based on the current Civil Code of Ukraine, the Family Code of Ukraine and the Law “On International Private Law”.
Among the innovations cited by the Verkhovna Rada are, in particular, the inclusion of customs—including those of national minorities—and local acts of legal entities as sources of law; the introduction of the principle prohibiting contradictory conduct; the expansion of an individual’s personal rights; new approaches to liability in civil law; the inheritance of the right to reparations; and digital assets.
What stage is the document at?
Draft Law No. 15150 was registered on 9 April 2026. According to the draft law’s details on the Verkhovna Rada website, following its adoption in principle on 28 April, the document is being prepared for the second reading.
The main committee’s conclusion refers to the adoption of the draft in principle, with provisions to be finalised in accordance with Part 1 of Article 116 and with an extension of the deadline for preparation for the second reading.
Kachka emphasised that the necessary amendments must be made before the second reading. According to him, without public acceptance, the new Civil Code will not be able to gain proper legitimacy.
On 28 April, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported Bill No. 15150 — the new version of the Civil Code — at its first reading. The document is already being called one of the most ambitious reforms of private law since independence, yet it immediately sparked serious debate in society. ThePublic explains why this happened.
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