Negative Integrity Conclusion on Lavreniuk Tetiana Anatoliivna: Crimea Connection in Judicial Assessment

What Happened#

On June 16, 2025, the Public Integrity Council approved a negative integrity conclusion on Lavreniuk Tetiana Anatoliivna (Лавренюк Тетяна Анатоліївна), a candidate for a position at Appellate court. The conclusion was adopted by 13 of 17 members.

The PIC treated Lavreniuk’s systematic trips to occupied Crimea between 2017-2020 to visit her parents as an integrity violation, arguing that such visits demonstrate lack of civic position regarding Russian occupation. By characterizing these family visits as incompatible with judicial office, the PIC implicitly recognizes Russian control over Crimea as legitimate grounds for restricting Ukrainian officials’ movement within what should be Ukrainian territory.

The Crimea-related element was cited as a direct basis for the negative conclusion.

The Crimea Connection#

The judge visited temporarily occupied Crimea without urgent need after the start of armed aggression. The candidate and her family members visited the occupied Crimean peninsula after the start of Russian aggression. According to border crossing database data, from 2017 to 2020 the candidate together with her husband traveled to temporarily occupied Crimea 2-4 times per year, staying 1-2 weeks. In explanations to the HQCJ during the 2018 interview, the judge stated the purpose of these trips to occupied Crimea was visiting her parents who lived there.

This quote shows the PIC treating family visits to Crimea as evidence of ethical violations, effectively recognizing Russian territorial control by characterizing movement within constitutional Ukrainian territory as requiring special justification.

Context#

The Public Integrity Council was established in 2016 as part of post-2014 judicial reform in Ukraine. Its mandate was to assist in vetting judges and judicial candidates based on integrity and professional ethics. While formally an advisory body, its conclusions carried significant weight in qualification proceedings and could directly affect judicial careers.

Under Ukrainian law, Crimea is a temporarily occupied territory under the Law on Ensuring the Rights and Freedoms of Citizens and the Legal Regime of the Temporarily Occupied Territory (2014). The Constitution of Ukraine affirms Crimea as an integral part of Ukraine whose status cannot be altered without an all-Ukrainian referendum.

By treating Crimea-related connections as integrity risks within a formal assessment framework, the PIC applies an operational logic that treats Crimea as Russian-administered territory — reproducing the same premise that was formally codified in the December 16, 2020 revised Indicators.

Voters#

Verification#

• Official PIC conclusion document dated June 16, 2025, available on the Council’s public website.
• Electronic voting record confirming the vote count and participating members.