The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted in the first reading the draft of the new edition of the Civil Code

On April 28, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved the draft law No. 15150 «Draft Civil Code of Ukraine» in the first reading. This document envisages a large-scale update of civil legislation, including a change in terminology related to moral norms and the expansion of individual rights to self-identification.

According to the official portal of the Ukrainian Parliament, one of the key innovations is the exclusion of the concept of «moral foundations of society» from the text of the code. Instead, the term «good morals» (boni mores) is introduced. According to the draft law, good morality is understood as a set of moral norms, principles and standards of ethical behavior, as well as generally accepted ideas about appropriate behavior established in society.

The change of terminology will affect the articles on civil capacity of natural persons, requirements for validity of transactions and realization of the right of ownership. Significant changes are also provided for in the article on the right to individuality. In the updated version, instead of the right to «preservation of identity», it is proposed to enshrine the right of a person to «form, preserve and change his or her individuality».

Bill No. 15150 also integrates family law directly into the Civil Code in the form of a sixth book. This section introduces the concept of «de facto family union», which refers to a man and a woman living together as a family without officially registering their marriage. At the same time, Article 1473 clearly defines marriage as a family union of a woman and a man registered in accordance with the procedure established by law, retaining similar wording in other articles of the document.

At the moment, the draft law has been adopted as a basis, and the Parliament is preparing the document for consideration in the second reading.