Judge from Odesa region to be dismissed for mass "forgiveness" of drunk drivers — HJC upheld the Disciplinary Chamber's decision
The High Judicial Council left unchanged the decision of the Second Disciplinary Chamber of the HJC dated April 8, 2026, to hold Podilskyi District Court judge of Odesa region Oleh Ivinskyi disciplinarily liable and to apply the sanction in the form of a submission for dismissal from office.
The grounds for the disciplinary proceedings were two complaints: from the Patrol Police Department dated March 5, 2024, and from citizen Chyzhyk T.V. dated June 27, 2025.
Essence of violations
According to the Unified State Register of Court Decisions, judge Oleh Ivinskyi systematically reviewed cases of administrative offenses under Part 1 of Article 130 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses (driving a vehicle while intoxicated) in 2024–2025. In a significant number of cases, he exempted drivers from liability due to the "minor significance" of the offense, limiting himself to only an oral warning.
The sanction of Article 130 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses is mandatory and provides for a compulsory fine with deprivation of the right to drive a vehicle for a period of at least one year. Despite this, the judge regularly applied Article 22 of the Code, citing martial law and the absence of negative consequences.
The investigation revealed even more serious violations. The register of court decisions published two rulings on the same cases with identical descriptive parts but mutually contradictory motivational and operative parts. In one, the person was held liable with full sanction, in the other — the proceedings were closed due to minor significance. The judge did not contact the State Enterprise "Information Judicial Systems" to delete erroneous decisions.
Moreover, the rulings contained internal contradictions: in the "punitive" versions, it was stated that the offender did not appear in court, while in the "mitigated" versions — that he "admitted guilt and sincerely repented."
Conclusions of the HJC
The Second Disciplinary Chamber established a systematic, intentional nature of violations, including:
- deliberate ignoring of imperative legal norms;
- extraprocedural alteration of the content of court decisions;
- distortion of factual circumstances of cases;
- substitution of law with personal notions of expediency.
According to the disciplinary body, such practice undermines the preventive function of administrative liability, forms an impression of impunity for driving under the influence, and discredits the authority of the judiciary.
The High Judicial Council fully agreed with the conclusions of the Second Disciplinary Chamber. It was stated that the actions of judge Ivinskyi constitute a significant disciplinary offense of a systematic, intentional, and discrediting nature, indicating his unsuitability for the position held.
Decision
The HJC upheld the decision to apply to Oleh Ivinskyi, judge of Podilskyi District Court of Odesa region, the disciplinary sanction in the form of a submission for dismissal from the judicial office.
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