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26 May 2026
Odesa judge deprived of additional payments for lenient punishment of drunk drivers
Ця стаття також доступна українською0
Vadym Ivanchuk. PHOTO: Kyiv District Court.
The First Disciplinary Chamber of the High Council of Justice has decided to bring to disciplinary responsibility Vadym Ivanchuk, a judge of the Kyiv District Court of Odesa.
This decision was made by the HCJ on May 25 following a preliminary review of a disciplinary complaint filed by activist Tetyana Chyzhyk.
The activist found five cases in which drivers who had been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol were fined by the judge, but not deprived of their driving privileges. The judge explained his decision by saying that the offenders were either military personnel or volunteers.
As noted by the Law and Business publication, two years ago the same chamber issued a warning to the judge also because of drunk drivers. But then Vadym Ivanchuk closed these cases due to the statute of limitations.
Earlier, the High Council of Justice decided to dismiss Natalia Cheban, a judge of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City District Court of Odesa Oblast. The reason was a disciplinary proceeding in which the judge was found guilty of a significant violation of her professional duties.
The basis for this decision was the submission of the Second Disciplinary Chamber of the HCJ. After reviewing the disciplinary case, the chamber concluded that the judge should be brought to disciplinary responsibility and the most severe penalty should be applied - a motion for dismissal.
The High Council of Justice also refused to bring to disciplinary responsibility judge Natalia Vinska of the Dobroslav District Court of Odesa Oblast. The judge was defended by one of the applicants and the plaintiff in the civil case, who wanted to withdraw her complaint, explaining that the other applicant, her former lawyer, was trying to cover up his shortcomings in representing her interests in court. This position was supported by her representative at the Chamber meeting, who pointed out that the applicant had not authorized her former lawyer to file a complaint on her behalf. However, according to the Law "On the High Council of Justice", it is impossible to withdraw complaints at this stage.
