Integrity Council finds Judge Andrushchenko dishonest over family case rulings and plagiarism

Ethics violation finding approved

The Public Integrity Council (PIC) officially approved a finding stating that candidate for the position of appellate court judge Oleksandr Yuriovych Andrushchenko does not meet the criteria for integrity and professional ethics. He currently holds the position of judge at the Volochysk District Court in Khmelnytskyi Oblast. This document will serve as the informational basis for the High Qualification Commission of Judges during the competitive selection process.

Rulings that may affect mobilisation

A key aspect of the investigation was the handling of family cases during the period following the start of the full-scale invasion. Analysis showed that between 2022 and 2025, O. Andrushchenko reviewed 16 cases related to the deprivation of mothers' parental rights or the determination of children's place of residence with fathers. In five cases, the claims were upheld, and in two, the child's place of residence was determined to be with the father.

The Council noted that such court rulings may create legal grounds for a deferment from mobilisation, as the independent upbringing of a child by court order is one of such criteria.

Specifics of reviewing particular cases

In several cases, mothers acknowledged the claims and did not appear at the hearings, while guardianship authorities supported the plaintiffs' position. Meanwhile, the children's opinions were not heard. The PIC cites the following examples:

• In case No. 671/304/25 (April 2025), a mother was deprived of parental rights regarding a daughter aged approximately 15–16 years, although under the law the child already had the right to independently choose their place of residence.
• In case No. 671/1860/22 (February 2023), the place of residence of a 6–7-year-old child was determined to be with the father, despite the fact that she had lived with him for only a few months.

The PIC emphasises that acknowledging a claim does not relieve the court of the obligation to verify whether the ruling is in the best interests of the child. Such practice raises doubts about the judge's conscientiousness.

Academic plagiarism in dissertation

The investigation also covered O. Andrushchenko's academic work. In his dissertation, defended in 2020, experts identified at least 21 fragments of academic plagiarism and three instances of falsification. Approximately 29% of the sources listed in the bibliography were not actually used in the text. Furthermore, in the work written during the armed aggression by Russia, Russian academic sources were used without critical analysis. The PIC classifies this as a systemic violation of academic integrity, which is incompatible with the status of a judge.

Closing domestic violence and drunk driving cases

The Council expressed concern regarding the practice of reviewing administrative cases. Under Article 173-2 of the Code of Administrative Offences (domestic violence), the judge closed 25 cases (10.2% of the total number reviewed) due to the "absence of the elements of an offence". According to the PIC's assessment, in several cases, evidence such as protocols and victims' statements was assessed insufficiently, and psychological violence was effectively reduced to a "household conflict" or "obscene language".

Ten cases under Article 130 of the Code of Administrative Offences (driving a vehicle while intoxicated or refusing a test) were also found to have been closed due to the absence of the elements of an offence. The Council points to possible excessive formalism: cases were closed despite the presence of video recording of the refusal, positive test results, witness testimony, or the fact of a traffic accident.

Declarations and family ties

Separately, the PIC drew attention to inaccuracies in the judge's declarations regarding real estate (specifically, an apartment in Vinnytsia which he used free of charge) and family ties. Although these circumstances in themselves did not become grounds for a negative finding, they require additional explanations.