Judge from Odesa region suspended from work for not returning from Norway

The High Council of Justice has decided to uphold the decision of the Second Disciplinary Chamber to bring to disciplinary responsibility a judge from Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in Odesa Oblast, Natalia Cheban.

The HCJ made the decision at its meeting on April 23.

This refers to the decision made on January 14. The complaint against the judge was filed by the acting head of this court, Yulia Shevchuk. She reported that after the Presidential decree appointing Natalia Cheban to the position for an indefinite period of time was issued at the end of 2021, she did not report to work, continuously being on various types of leave, including unpaid leave.

The meeting of judges of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City District Court of Odesa Oblast twice - in April 2024 and February 2025 - recommended that Natalia Cheban return to the administration of justice after the expiration of the leave period specified in other orders.

The judge insisted that she had the right not to return to work, as she had been granted unpaid leave by the order of the head of the court for the entire period of martial law in Ukraine, which was extended by the Verkhovna Rada each time. In addition, she believes that the order of the head of the court granting her leave for 90 days, i.e. for the duration of martial law, was forged, and she reported this to the State Bureau of Investigation, which opened a criminal case.

In addition, the judge said that she could not return to her workplace until martial law was lifted in Ukraine. After all, according to the legislation of Norway, where she and her child received collective protection, there is a ban for such persons to return home until martial law ends. This statement outraged the judges, as they did not understand why Natalia Cheban considered it necessary to comply with Norwegian law while neglecting her duties as a judge in Ukraine. As a result, the Second Chamber of the High Council of Justice suspended the judge from work, and the judge, although she did not administer justice, decided to appeal this decision. In March, the HCJ suspended consideration of the appeal.

Кирило Бойко