Stefanishina supported the bill on strengthening responsibility for the dissemination of data from e-registers

Justice Minister Olga Stefanishina, commenting on the draft law on strengthening responsibility for the dissemination of data from e-registers, which, according to media professionals, threatens freedom of speech, expressed hope that it will be possible to find the necessary balance and still ensure increased responsibility for access to registers. She said this during the hour of questions to the government in the Verkhovna Rada, reports UNN.

Stefanishin was asked to comment on the indignation and rejection of journalists regarding the draft law No. 10242, which provides for responsibility for publishing data from registers. 

Indeed, the issue is complex, perhaps it was not sufficiently communicated, there is a certain conspiracy theory. If you read the bill directly, you can't see any risks that have been publicly communicated from it. But I hope that we will be able to find the necessary balance and still ensure increased responsibility for access to registries."

Stefanishina argues that the period of a full-scale war and after its end requires stronger responsibility and a more serious attitude to data security.

"I say this as the minister of justice and, first of all, as a person who directly considers complaints from citizens about illegal work and interference in registers. These are hundreds of Appeals, and believe me, it is very difficult for me, even for any boards or the minister of justice, who approves orders, to resolve each of the issues. And there are a lot of unauthorized access, before the start of a full-scale war, we opened the market for registrars quite widely with the participation of Deputies. But a full - scale war both now and after the war requires stronger responsibility and a more serious attitude to data security," Stefanishina said.

Stefanishina stressed that a balance must be found.

"There should be perception in society, there should be additional communication. As far as I know, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on law enforcement still revised the original version of the law and, perhaps, even before the second repeated reading, it will be possible to find some solutions," Stefanyshyna said.

context

the Verkhovna Rada failed to pass in the second reading a bill that would provide for a penalty of 8 years behind bars for leaking information from state registers of punishment.

This bill was registered in November last year. In January 2024, it was adopted as a basis. In July of this year, the Rada tried to pass it in the second reading, but there were not enough votes and it was sent for a second reading.

On November 27, the relevant committee on law enforcement issues prepared the draft law for a second reading and recommended that the parliament adopt it in the second reading and as a whole as a law, in the version proposed by the committee, with the necessary technical and legal amendments.

The media movement stated that in essence, The Bill proposes to strengthen criminal liability for "unauthorized interference, sale or dissemination of information" from various registers. And the authors of the bill write in an explanatory note that this responsibility should be strengthened precisely in view of martial law. But human rights activists, anti-corruption activists, media organizations and journalists believe that the bill poses threats to the fight against corruption and freedom of speech.