Russian Supreme Court Rules License Revocation Unlawful When Driver’s Identity Is Based Only on Verbal Claim

Dragon Media News Desk

Russia’s Supreme Court has ruled that revoking a driver’s license for drunk driving is unlawful when the identity of the person involved is established solely on the basis of a verbal statement and is not confirmed by official documents.

According to a court decision reviewed by Russian news agency TASS, the ruling came in a case involving Dmitry Shelukhin, whose driving license had been revoked after traffic police stopped a vehicle.

The man behind the wheel showed signs of alcohol intoxication but did not present any identification documents.

He identified himself as Dmitry Shelukhin, and administrative proceedings were initiated on the basis of that statement, eventually resulting in the revocation of Shelukhin’s driving license.

It was later established, however, that the person who had actually been driving the vehicle was not Shelukhin but his cousin.

The Supreme Court concluded that administrative penalties such as the revocation of a driving license cannot lawfully be imposed when a person’s identity has not been verified through official documents or other reliable evidence.

The ruling further clarifies that authorities must properly establish a driver’s identity before imposing administrative penalties in cases involving suspected drunk driving.