Ukraine’s lawmakers on path to pass law on military police

That’s according to MP Oleksiy Honcharenko of the European Solidarity faction, Ukrinform reports.

He clarified that legislative initiative No. 6569-d saw support from 247 legislators.

The purpose of the draft law is to create legislative bases and legal foundations for the activity of the military police as a military formation with law enforcement functions, which is part of the security and defense bloc, and whose main task is to ensure law and order and military discipline in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Armed Forces, and State Special Transport Service.

The draft proposes to create a military police body based on the Military Service of Law and Order within the Armed Forces.

It defines the legal principles of the new body’s organization, general structure, tasks, and powers.

It is assumed that the military police will work on prevention, detection, and termination of criminal and administrative offenses within the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Armed Forces, and State Special Transport Service, probe administrative offenses within its competence, and run investigations in cases and on the grounds specified by law.

The powers will include crime documentation, search and detention of suspects from among the military personnel, and protection of the rights of the Ukrainian military in accordance with NATO’s AJP-3.21 standard.

At the same time, the agency will ensure law and order and military discipline among military personnel, conscripts, and reservists, as well as the protection of their lives, health, rights, and legitimate interests.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law allowing local self-government bodies to finance units of Ukraine’s Defense Forces under martial law.