A judge from the Mykolaiv region was dismissed following an incident at work
On September 24, the High Council of Justice dismissed Oksana Zvyagina, a judge of the Bashtanka District Court in Mykolaiv Oblast. The decision stems from a disciplinary case following an incident in her office in October 2025.
According to the High Council of Justice, the judge was found at her workplace showing signs of intoxication. There was no medical confirmation of intoxication; however, the Disciplinary Chamber concluded that the judge’s consumption of alcohol at work and her subsequent behavior were confirmed by a body of other evidence.
On September 24, the High Council of Justice adopted a decision to dismiss Oksana Zvyagina from her position as a judge of the Bashtanka District Court in Mykolaiv Oblast. The decision was based on a ruling by the Second Disciplinary Chamber of the High Council of Justice, which had previously submitted a motion for her dismissal.
Oksana Zvyagina was appointed a judge of the Bashtanka District Court by Presidential Decree No. 419/2024 dated July 4, 2024. In other words, she served in this position for just over a year before becoming the subject of disciplinary proceedings. A complaint regarding the judge’s conduct was filed with the High Council of Justice by Serhiy Yanchuk, the acting chair of the Bashtanka District Court. The complaint alleged misconduct on the part of Zvyagina.
What Happened in Court
According to the materials of the disciplinary case, on October 2, 2025, at approximately 4:50 p.m., Oksana Zvyagina was found in her office on the court premises. According to the complainant and the case materials, the judge showed signs of alcohol intoxication. Court staff subsequently documented the circumstances of the incident in the relevant reports. However, the judge did not undergo a medical examination to confirm her state of alcohol intoxication.
The High Council of Justice specifically emphasized this point. The Second Disciplinary Chamber noted that the state of intoxication was not confirmed by medical documents. At the same time, it considered it a proven fact that she had consumed alcoholic beverages at the workplace, as well as other circumstances documented during the incident. The following day, October 3, 2025, the judge did not report to work. According to the High Council of Justice, she did not inform the court’s administration of the reasons for her absence.
Another factor in the case was her conduct following the incident. As the Disciplinary Chamber noted, Zvyagina refused to review and sign the relevant documents and failed to provide any explanation regarding the situation. The disciplinary body assessed all these circumstances collectively. In the chamber’s view, they indicated improper conduct on the part of the judge and a violation of the standards that judges are required to uphold.
Why It Led to Dismissal
On February 4, 2026, the Second Disciplinary Chamber of the High Council of Justice held Oksana Zvyagina disciplinarily liable. At that time, the chamber decided to impose a penalty on her in the form of a motion for her dismissal from office. The judge appealed this decision to the High Council of Justice. In July, the High Council of Justice upheld the decision of the Second Disciplinary Chamber. Following this, the matter of Zvyagina’s dismissal was brought directly before the High Council of Justice. It was included on the agenda for the September 24 meeting.
As a result, the High Council of Justice ruled to dismiss Oksana Zvyagina from her position as a judge of the Bashtanka District Court in Mykolaiv Oblast. The grounds cited were the commission of a serious disciplinary offense. This specific ground is provided for in paragraph 3 of part six of Article 126 of the Constitution of Ukraine. Thus, the dismissal marked the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings that began following a complaint from the leadership of the Bashtanka District Court. The High Council of Justice took into account the circumstances of the incident on October 2, 2025, the judge’s absence from work the following day, her refusal to review the documents, and her failure to provide explanations.
The Disciplinary Chamber of the High Council of Justice recommended dismissing Judge Oksana Zvyagina for unethical conduct, specifically for consuming alcohol directly in her office.
