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Blockchain based chain of custody and digital evidence legality in post conflict prosecutions
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DOI：10.3389/fbloc.2026.1801364.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Digital evidence has become central in post-conflict prosecutions for terrorism, war crimes, and organized violence, especially when material is recorded by civilians, NGOs, and digital platforms. Courts increasingly face disputes over authenticity and chain of custody, which often weaken cases or risk unfair outcomes. Existing legal scholarship discusses digital evidence and blockchain separately, yet it does not sufficiently explain how blockchain-based custody records should be treated within criminal procedure, particularly under conditions of weak institutions and unequal access to technology. This gap motivates the present study, which responds to growing reliance on digital infrastructures in post-conflict settings and the rising volume of contested digital material before courts. The aim of the study is to develop a reform-oriented theoretical framework for assessing the legality and reliability of blockchain-registered digital evidence in post-conflict prosecutions. Using doctrinal analysis and normative legal reasoning, the study develops a structured theoretical conceptual framework for a distributed chain of custody model based on provenance, continuity, and contestability, and examines how permissioned blockchain systems can support evidentiary review without replacing judicial assessment. Special attention is given to fair trial guarantees, especially the need to ensure that defendants can meaningfully challenge blockchain-based integrity claims. The study is important because it offers doctrinal guidance for courts and lawmakers seeking to modernize evidentiary rules while maintaining procedural fairness in fragile post-conflict justice systems, while also providing a structured conceptual design that can guide later empirical testing.
Keywords:
blockchain
chain of custody
criminal procedure
digital evidence
post conflict prosecutions
Journal
F
IF:
2.4
Papers:
59
Citations:
558
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Cited Papers