You're reading: Opposition challenges in court approval of language bill at first reading

Opposition MPs have asked the Higher Administrative Court of Ukraine to declare unlawful the approval at first reading of a bill on the principles of state language policy.

This is stipulated in a lawsuit filed by BYT-Batkivschyna faction deputies at the court on Monday.

"We’re asking [the court] to declare unlawful the actions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in approving at first reading of a bill on the principles of the state language policy, which instructs the main committee [on culture and spirituality] to prepare it for second reading," reads the document.

The MPs asked the court to oblige parliament to include in the protocol of the parliament’s morning session on June 5, during which the draft law was voted for, a note on the rejection of the bill.

The plaintiffs are BYT-Batkivschyna faction deputies Yuriy Odarchenko and Stepan Kurpil. The defendant is the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and the third party on the side of the defendant is the committee on culture and spirituality.

As reported, on June 5, the Verkhovna Rada passed at first reading a bill on the principles of state language policy, which strengthens the positions of the Russian language and the languages of national minorities in the regions, if the percentage of their speakers exceeds 10%.