Fake ruling to close a drunk driving case: The High Council of Justice defended Dnipro judge Anastasiia Pryvalykhina
Judge Anastasiia Pryvalykhina was handling an administrative case under Part 1 of Article 130 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses (driving a vehicle while intoxicated).
On September 1, 2025, the offender submitted a statement along with a copy of the ruling of the Chechelivskyi District Court of Dnipro dated July 9, 2025. This ruling allegedly closed the case due to the absence of an administrative offense (paragraph 1, part 1, article 247 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses).
However, the copy of the ruling turned out to be forged. The document consisted of three pages, each containing a barcode in the upper right corner. The last page bore a signature that did not belong to judge Anastasiia Pryvalykhina and a seal of another institution. At the same time, Judge Pryvalykhina emphasized that she never substantively considered the case and did not make any procedural decisions in it.
Judge Anastasiia Pryvalykhina immediately informed the court administration head about the forgery. The police were called. Investigative officers seized the documents submitted by the offender.
Judge Pryvalykhina regarded these actions as interference and pressure aimed at obstructing her professional duties. She believes that forging court decisions violates citizens' constitutional rights to judicial protection and the fundamental principles of justice.
In accordance with the requirements of part four of article 48 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges," Judge Pryvalykhina reported the interference to the High Council of Justice and the Prosecutor General.
On September 5, 2025, the Chechelivskyi District Court disqualified Judge Anastasiia Pryvalykhina from hearing this case.
The Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office reported that a pre-trial investigation into the possible forgery of the court ruling is being conducted by the investigative department of the Dnipro District Police Department. Procedural supervision is carried out by the Western District Prosecutor's Office of Dnipro. The investigation is ongoing.
Decision of the High Council of Justice
The High Council of Justice emphasized that it does not have the authority to carry out criminal-legal qualification of such actions — this is the competence of law enforcement agencies. At the same time, the Council has sufficient grounds to take measures to protect the independence of judges and the authority of justice.
Following the review, the High Council of Justice decided to appeal to the Office of the Prosecutor General for information on the progress of the criminal investigation under Part 1 of Article 358 (forgery of documents) and Part 1 of Article 376 (interference in the activities of a judge) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine regarding the facts stated in Judge Anastasiia Pryvalykhina's report.
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