The explanatory note states that until now, the Ukrainian Criminal Code did not provide for criminal liability for crimes against humanity and war crimes. In wartime, aligning the Criminal Code with the norms of the Rome Statute is extremely important, noted then-Minister of Justice Denys Maliuska in the explanatory note to the draft.
According to his arguments, this law will update and eliminate gaps in Ukrainian legislation, which has systematically failed to align with modern international law.
In the signed law, in particular, an article on genocide was outlined in accordance with the Rome Statute (the maximum penalty under this article is life imprisonment).
The Criminal Code was also supplemented with an article on crimes against humanity, and the penalties for the article on the crime of aggression were tightened to life imprisonment.