Case of Judge Svitlana Chentsova, Who Fined Drunk Drivers Without Revoking Licences, Postponed Until August
The Third Disciplinary Panel of the High Council of Justice has postponed its review of the disciplinary case against Svitlana Chentsova, a judge of the Novozavodskyi District Court of Chernihiv city, until 5 August 2026. The case was initiated following a complaint by Katerina Butko.
Circumstances of the case
The Third Disciplinary Panel of the High Council of Justice is reviewing a disciplinary complaint against Judge Svitlana Chentsova of the Novozavodskyi District Court of Chernihiv city. The complaint stems from decisions made in cases of administrative liability under Part 1 of Article 130 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences (driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other intoxicants).
The complainant noted that the Unified State Register of Court Decisions revealed that several such cases were heard by Judge Chentsova between 2022 and 2025. Specifically, on 20 May 2025, in case No. 751/2900/25, Judge Chentsova found a person guilty of an offence under Part 1 of Article 130 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences and imposed a fine of one thousand non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens (17,000 hryvnias) without revoking their driving licence.
The Third Disciplinary Panel of the High Council of Justice concluded that the facts presented in the complaint might indicate disciplinary misconduct by Judge Svitlana Chentsova, as outlined in Paragraph 4 of Part One of Article 106 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges." This concerns an intentional or grossly negligent severe violation of the law that led to significant negative consequences. Consequently, a disciplinary case was opened on 3 December 2025.
Under the legislation, the sanction for Part 1 of Article 130 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences includes both a fine and deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a period of one to two years. The absence of the additional penalty of driving licence deprivation in similar cases often draws criticism from the public and law enforcement agencies.
The case concerning Judge Chentsova's disciplinary responsibility is currently under consideration by the Third Disciplinary Panel of the High Council of Justice.
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