Offensive posters and publications on Facebook: The High Council of Justice saw signs of psychological pressure on judges of the Western Commercial Court of Appeal
The High Council of Justice considered the reports submitted by judges of the Western Commercial Court of Appeal, Oksana Skrypchuk, Nataliya Kravchuk, and Oleh Matushchak, regarding interference in their judicial activities.
Circumstances of the case
A panel of judges composed of Oksana Skrypchuk, presiding judge, Nataliya Kravchuk, and Oleh Matushchak was considering an appeal filed by the Service Cooperative “Housing Construction Cooperative ‘Our Lviv’”. By its decision of July 1, 2025, the Commercial Court of Lviv Region granted the claim in full.
The judges linked the alleged interference to systematic negative publications on Facebook, which contained critical assessments of their procedural actions in the case. In addition, a car displaying a poster with a photograph of Judge Oksana Skrypchuk and an offensive inscription repeatedly appeared near the court building.
According to the judges, such actions constitute a form of psychological pressure, an encroachment on judicial independence, and a manifestation of disrespect for the court.
Decision of the High Council of Justice
The High Council of Justice thoroughly examined the judges’ reports and the investigation materials. Council members concluded that the Facebook publications were provocative and negative in nature. They contained evaluative judgments regarding the judges’ procedural actions in a specific case, as well as information that could create a false impression of the court’s work in society.
Particular concern was caused by the repeated placement near the building of the Western Commercial Court of Appeal of a car displaying a poster with a photograph of Judge Oksana Skrypchuk and an offensive inscription. According to the High Council of Justice, such actions go beyond the exercise of the rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly and constitute a form of psychological pressure on the judge, as well as an encroachment on the authority of the judiciary as a whole.
The High Council of Justice emphasised that, although it is not authorised to provide a criminal-law qualification of actions, the circumstances established provide grounds for a response aimed at protecting judicial independence and the authority of justice, in accordance with Article 73 of the Law of Ukraine “On the High Council of Justice”.
As a result of the vote — 14 votes in favour and one against — the High Council of Justice decided:
to request information from the Office of the Prosecutor General on the status of the detection and investigation of the criminal proceedings entered on April 23, 2026, into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under Part One of Article 376 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, concerning interference in the activities of a judge;
to take note that the investigation into the facts set out in the judges’ report is being conducted by law enforcement agencies in accordance with the procedure established by the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.
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