Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has submitted to the Verkhovna Rada an urgent bill on amendments to Article 80 of the Constitution of Ukraine, abolishing the immunity from prosecution for people's deputies of Ukraine.

The draft law on amendments to Article 80 of the Constitution of Ukraine (concerning the immunity of people's deputies of Ukraine) was submitted by the president on Tuesday, October 17. According to information on the parliament's website, at present it has been sent to the relevant committee.

The comparative table attached to the bill says the legislative initiative proposes excluding from the Constitution the provision, according to which "people's deputies of Ukraine are guaranteed parliamentary immunity". Thus, the rule that "people's deputies of Ukraine cannot be brought to criminal responsibility, detained or arrested without the consent of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will be withdrawn."

The new wording for Article 80 of the Constitution of Ukraine is proposed instead: "Article 80. People's deputies of Ukraine do not bear legal responsibility for the results of voting or statements in Parliament and its branches, with the exception of responsibility for insult or libel."

If the bill is adopted, it will enter into force on January 1, 2020.