Odesa Law Academy is suing the Ministry of Education and Science: demands UAH 1 million over Vynnytskyi’s statement
20 June 2025 06:05
The National University “Odesa Law Academy” has filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine with the Kyiv Commercial Court. The higher education institution demands protection of its business reputation and compensation for moral damages in the amount of UAH 1 million. This is stated in the court’s ruling, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
The lawsuit was filed in April 2025. Its essence is a statement about allegedly false public statements by Deputy Minister of Education Mykhailo Vynnytsky, which, according to the plaintiff, caused reputational damage to the university.
In particular, it is about Vynnytskyi’s speech on April 10 during a meeting of the Council for Cooperation with Student Self-Government Bodies. During his speech, the Deputy Minister stated that almost all of the property of the Odesa Law Academy had allegedly been illegally transferred to private ownership. He also stated that most of the educational programs at the university are not accredited, which means that students may be left without diplomas.
The university insists that these allegations are false and discredit the institution. The statement of claim contains a demand to oblige the Ministry of Education and Science to publicly refute the allegations – in the same way that the information was disseminated.
on May 12, the Kyiv Commercial Court opened proceedings in the case. Mykhailo Vynnytskyi himself was added to the proceedings as a third party.
This legal dispute is taking place against the backdrop of large-scale changes in higher education. In February, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to consolidate the network of universities. As part of the reform, the National University “Odesa Law Academy” was merged with the Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University.
