Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine signed the law № 187-IX. It foresees changes to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine; the amendments concern eavesdropping actions that may be performed by NABU, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and SBI, the State Bureau of Investigations. The changes also include the terms of pre-trial investigation.
The respective data may be found in the draft law's digital card on the website of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's Parliament.
The law lets the authorized units of NABU and SBI get the information from transport communication networks.
According to the amendments, criminal cases will not be closed due to the expiration of the term of limitation anymore. It concerns especially grave crimes against a person's life or health and the crimes that can be punished with life imprisonment.
The law lets the investigating judge involve an expert (or multiple experts) for conducting the expertise if the defense asks for it. At that, the investigating officer and prosecutor are bound to provide the expertise without turning to the investigating judge. If the defense cannot afford the expert, it can turn to the investigating judge.
The opportunity to appeal against the prosecutor's or investigating officer's notice of suspicion remains. At that, during the pre-trial investigation, the defense may appeal against the investigating judge's decisions to set the bail or to refuse from this restriction measure.
Almost all norms of the law will take effect on the day after its official publication. Like all other laws, it will be released via Holos Ukrainy, the official parliamentary newspaper.
