Draft law on strengthening guarantees for media activities: The Parliament supported in the first reading
Kyiv • UNN
The Verkhovna Rada has passed in the first reading a bill that exempts journalists from liability for moving during curfew while performing their professional duties and abolishes liability for online media for disseminating certain information.
The Verkhovna Rada supported in the first reading a draft law that exempts journalists from liability for moving on the street during curfew if they are performing the tasks of their professional activities. The document also proposes to abolish liability for online media for disseminating certain information.
This is reported by UNN with reference to MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak and the card of the bill No. 11321.
Details
No. 11321 - on amendments to certain laws of Ukraine on strengthening certain guarantees for media, journalists and citizens to access information. As a basis (247)
According to the document, journalists and media workers accredited to the Armed Forces of Ukraine or other components of the defense forces have the right to move freely during the curfew period in the course of their professional activities. Documentary evidence is a prerequisite.
The draft law also provides for amendments to the Law "On Media", in particular, journalists performing work under a civil law contract for the media are not liable for disseminating information if it is a verbatim or paraphrased reproduction of public speeches or messages of legal entities, state bodies, local governments, their officials and employees, members of the Ukrainian Parliament, candidates for elected office.
They will also not be held liable for disseminating information containing secrets specifically protected by law, unless this information was obtained illegally, and for disseminating restricted information if the court has determined that this information is publicly necessary.
In addition, the media outlet will not be held liable for readers' comments, provided that the media outlet has restricted access to such information within 3 days not only from the date of receipt of the relevant complaint or order of the National Council, but also from the date of receipt of the court's decision to open the relevant proceedings.
Recall
The Verkhovna Rada supported in the first reading a draft law that obliges employers to insure journalists and other employees for the period of their business trips to the areas of hostilities or to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
