This Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine No. 435 dated 08.05.2026 approves the Procedure for Conducting Psychophysiological Research Using a Polygraph in the SES (State Emergency Service) system. The document establishes clear rules for interviewing personnel and service candidates to verify the accuracy of the information provided by them. It is important to understand that the results of such examinations are exclusively orientational in nature and do not constitute direct evidence of misconduct. The procedure is based on the principles of voluntariness, confidentiality, and strict adherence to human rights.
### Structure and Main Provisions
The Procedure consists of six sections covering the entire lifecycle of the research:
1. **General Provisions:** definitions of terms and the purpose (obtaining information that cannot be obtained by other means).
2. **Principles:** establishment of fundamental tenets, such as non-discrimination, impartiality, and the right to refuse.
3. **Directions and Organization:** a list of grounds for conducting examinations (personnel decisions, official investigations, the individual’s own initiative) and the appointment procedure.
4. **Conditions for Conducting:** requirements for the premises, a list of medical contraindications, and safeguards regarding conflicts of interest.
5. **Documentation and Storage:** rules for documenting results, storage periods for materials (3 years), and access thereto.
6. **Specifics of Specialist Work:** ethical and professional limitations for polygraph examiners.
As a new regulatory act, it systematizes previously disparate approaches to the use of the polygraph in the SES, clearly delineating the powers of initiators and specialists.
### Key Aspects for Practical Use
* **Voluntariness:** The examination is conducted only with the written consent of the subject. Refusal to undergo the procedure does not entail any legal consequences and cannot be considered evidence of guilt.
* **Orientational Nature:** Polygraph results do not have evidentiary weight in court or during disciplinary proceedings; they merely guide the subsequent work of investigators or personnel commissions.
* **Limitations:** The examination cannot last longer than two hours without a break, is conducted exclusively during working hours, and is prohibited in the presence of medical contraindications (e.g., acute illnesses, pregnancy, use of psychotropic substances).
* **Confidentiality:** Access to results is strictly limited. The subject of the research has the right to personally review the report on their testing results throughout the entire storage period.
* **Prevention of Abuse:** The Procedure expressly prohibits conducting an examination if the specialist is under the direct subordination of the subject or has a conflict of interest with them.
