Incident Involving Judge Oksana Zvyahina
The Disciplinary Chamber of the High Council of Justice has recommended the dismissal of Judge Oksana Zvyahina of the Bashtansky District Court in the Mykolaiv region for unethical conduct related to being intoxicated while on duty. The incident occurred on October 2, 2025, when court staff found Zvyahina in a helpless state in her office, displaying clear signs of alcohol impairment. This case highlights ongoing efforts to uphold judicial integrity in Ukraine's legal system.
During an inspection, two empty bottles were discovered in the judge's office: one 0.75-liter bottle of sparkling wine and another 0.35-liter bottle of cognac. The judge's assistant noted in a report that Zvyahina had begun consuming alcohol starting at 9:00 a.m. Furthermore, surveillance footage from a store near the court captured a woman resembling the judge purchasing a bottle of cognac. Visual similarity was confirmed by comparing the customer's image with a screenshot from Zvyahina's interview with the High Qualification Commission of Judges in February 2024.
The Judge's Condition and Subsequent Events
Witnesses also reported on the judge's inappropriate state. The assistant to the court chairman observed Zvyahina walking unsteadily in the corridor, and around 2:00-3:00 p.m., she fell into a deep sleep at her desk. At the end of the workday, a court security officer found the judge in a helpless state in her office and noted the smell of alcohol. Surveillance video from the Bashtansky District Court recorded a man in a security uniform carrying an unconscious woman through the corridor around 4:00 p.m. Zvyahina was taken to her apartment by the assistant's husband along with a court security officer.
The judge did not report for work the following day. On October 4, 2025, she wrote to the court chairman admitting her guilt. However, on October 9, she made unethical remarks about some court employees. Judge Zvyahina's state of intoxication was not confirmed by medical documents, but the disciplinary inspector believes there is sufficient evidence of her alcohol consumption at the workplace.
Oksana Zvyahina was appointed judge by the President of Ukraine in July 2024. Previously, she worked for six months as a consultant in the analytical and statistical department of the Vinnytsia City Court, and until 2023, she held the position of deputy head of the apparatus of the Kalanchak District Court in the Kherson region. The judge's husband is a military serviceman; before the full-scale invasion, he worked as a leading specialist at the Kalanchak District Military Commissariat.
This incident underscores the importance of ethics and professional standards in the judiciary, as the conduct of judges directly impacts trust in the justice system. — Source: High Council of Justice
The recommendation to dismiss Judge Zvyahina indicates that judicial authorities take cases of misconduct that could harm the reputation of the court system seriously. In the context of contemporary challenges, such as war and socio-economic difficulties, adherence to ethical norms becomes even more critical for maintaining stability in the legal sphere.