Blockchain-Based Evidence and Legal Validity: Reformulating Norms for Decentralized Justice Systems

Carlos Pérez (1), Isabel López (2), Francisco López (3)
(1) University of Madrid, Spain,
(2) University of Zaragoza, Spain,
(3) Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain

Abstract

Background. The increasing integration of blockchain technology into legal frameworks necessitates a critical re-evaluation of how evidence and legal validity are conceptualized within decentralized justice systems. Traditional jurisprudence relies on centralized authority for the authentication and admissibility of evidence. However, blockchain’s immutable and decentralized nature offers new paradigms for trust, transparency, and verification—raising both opportunities and challenges in adapting current legal norms.


Purpose. This study aims to explore the legal implications of blockchain-based evidence, focusing on the reformulation of evidentiary and procedural standards in decentralized environments.


Method. Using a qualitative juridical-normative method, this research analyzes comparative case studies, statutory instruments, and international best practices in blockchain jurisprudence.


Results. The results demonstrate a significant gap in current legal structures regarding the recognition and standardization of digital ledger evidence. Key challenges include the absence of uniform protocols, jurisdictional discrepancies, and the epistemological shift required in legal reasoning.


Conclusion. This study concludes that a comprehensive legal framework is imperative to ensure the legitimacy and enforceability of blockchain-generated evidence. Reformulating evidentiary norms aligned with decentralized principles is not only necessary but urgent to uphold justice in emerging digital ecosystems.

Full text article

Generated from XML file

References

Ast, F., George, W., Kamalova, J., Sharma, A., & Aouidef, Y. (2024). Corrigendum: Decentralized justice: State of the art, recurring criticisms and next-generation research topics(Front. Blockchain, (2023), 6, (1204090), 10.3389/fbloc.2023.1204090). Frontiers in Blockchain, 7. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2024.1434503

Beresford, M., Brewis, A., Choudhary, N., Drew, G., Garcia, N. E., Garrick, D., Hossain, M. J., Lopez, E., Nébié, E. I., Pacheco-Vega, R., Roque, A., & Wutich, A. (2024). Justice and moral economies in “Modular, Adaptive, and Decentralized” (MAD) water systems. Water Security, 21. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasec.2023.100148

Calzada, I. (2024a). Artificial Intelligence for Social Innovation: Beyond the Noise of Algorithms and Datafication. Sustainability (Switzerland), 16(19). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198638

Calzada, I. (2024b). Decentralized Web3 Reshaping Internet Governance: Towards the Emergence of New Forms of Nation-Statehood? Future Internet, 16(10). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi16100361

Caudill, C. M., Pulsifer, P. L., Thumbadoo, R. V., & Taylor, D. R. F. (2024). Meeting the Challenges of the UN Sustainable Development Goals through Holistic Systems Thinking and Applied Geospatial Ethics. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 13(4). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi13040110

Chen, P., Chen, Y., Wang, X., Yuan, L., Tan, C., & Yang, Y. (2024). A high-capacity slicing PBFT protocol based on reputation evaluation model. Wireless Networks, 30(9), 7469–7482. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11276-023-03636-7

Chen, W.-A., Chen, C.-F., & Tomasik, S. (2024). Investigating intentions and barriers in adopting decentralized home energy management systems: A justice dimension of demand flexibility. Energy and Buildings, 318. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.114458

Diniz, E. H., Sanches, B. H., Pozzebon, M., & Luvizan, S. S. (2024). DO BLACK FINTECHS MATTER? THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD TO DEVELOP INCLUSIVE ALGORITHMS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE. MIS Quarterly: Management Information Systems, 48(4), 1721–1744. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2024/18288

Dobbin, K. B., Hernandez, A., Bostic, D., Harrison, G., Singhal, A., Barnett, M., Vasquez-Rodriguez, I., Pierce, G., & Sawyer, K. (2024). Making a vicious cycle virtuous: A research and policy agenda for advancing the water security of unregulated users in the Southwestern U.S. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 11(5). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1731

Eddy, U. (2024). “Good Samaritans” and Approaches of Resistance in the Cultural Revolution. Modern China, 50(4), 413–445. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1177/00977004241227390

Empinotti, V. L., & Garjulli, R. (2024). MAD and its challenges for water governance: Reflections on the Brazilian reality. Water Security, 21. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasec.2023.100159

Freschi, G., Menegatto, M., & Zamperini, A. (2024). Conceptualising the Link between Citizen Science and Climate Governance: A Systematic Review. Climate, 12(5). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli12050060

Gál, A. (2024). New Area of Judicial Cooperation on Criminal Matters in the European Union: The Transmission of Electronic Evidence between Member States MC. Studia Iuridica Lublinensia, 33(5), 69–85. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.17951/sil.2024.33.5.69-85

Goldstein, E. G., Font, S. A., Kennedy, R. S., Connell, C. M., & Kurpiel, A. E. (2024). Do foster youth face harsher juvenile justice outcomes? Reinvestigating child welfare bias in juvenile justice processing. Criminology and Public Policy. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12689

Gordon, C. (2024). Learning mutual aid_ food justice public pedagogy and community fridge organizing online. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 52(2), 158–178. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2024.2327417

Haanyika, Z., Trauernicht, N., Martinetti, A., & Lutters, E. (2024). Is Humanitarian Aid Funding Fair and Square? Correlating Social Justice to Humanitarian aid Utilisation. IEEE Glob. Humanit. Technol. Conf., GHTC, 481–488. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1109/GHTC62424.2024.10771547

Jacob, C. (2024). A new politics of international criminal justice: Accountability in Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza war. International Affairs, 100(6), 2563–2581. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiae224

Kaiser, S. B., & Smelik, A. (2024). Fashion, beauty and media. Critical Studies in Fashion and Beauty, 15(2), 153–159. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1386/csfb_00076_2

Kapil, P., Vohra, P., & Deep, V. (2024). Mapping the whistleblowing research landscape: A bibliometric analysis of studies between 2000 and 2021. International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 23(4), 331–363. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJHRDM.2024.144141

Khalid, R., Basit, A., Sohail, M., Ahmad, T., & Muhammad, N. (2024). Community energy and socio-technical infrastructure resilience: Analysis of mini/micro hydro power projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability, 4(3). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/ad7886

Li, S., Mount, T. D., & Tong, L. (2024). Decentralized Equitable Energy Access in Energy Communities. Annu. Allerton Conf. Commun., Control, Comput., Allerton. 2024 60th Annual Allerton Conference on Communication, Control, and Computing, Allerton 2024. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1109/Allerton63246.2024.10735271

Liang, W., Arts, B., Zinda, J. A., & Dong, J. (2024). Justice and injustice under authoritarian environmentalism: Investigating tensions between forestland property rights and environmental conservation in China. Forest Policy and Economics, 160. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2023.103144

Mahlaba, J., Mishra, A. K., Puthal, D., & Sharma, P. K. (2024). Blockchain-Based Sensitive Document Storage to Mitigate Corruptions. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 71, 12635–12647. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2022.3183867

Miao, Q., Davlasheridze, M., & Reilly, A. C. (2024). Assessing social equity of federal disaster aid distribution: A nationwide analysis. Risk Analysis. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.17660

Monna, V., & Auricchio, V. (2024). Designing the In-Between: Outlining the Roles of the Designer in the Civic Arena. Temes de Disseny, 2024(40), 24–43. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.46467/TdD40.2024.24-43

Moore, K. T. (2024). Clinical research vehicles as a modality for medical research education and conduct of decentralized trials, supporting justice, equity, and diversity in research. Bioethics. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.13360

Ngarava, S. (2024). Impact of land restitution benefits on Water, Energy and Food (WEF) misgovernance and social injustice. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 22. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2024.100386

Olley, J., Cvitanovic, M., Ginige, T., & Bunt-MacRury, L. (2024). A systematic literature review of sustainable water management in South Africa. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 10(5). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-024-01135-x

Otte, L., Schöne, N., Flessa, A., Fragkos, P., & Heinz, B. (2024). Costs and Benefits of Citizen Participation in the Energy Transition: Investigating the Economic Viability of Prosumers on Islands—The Case of Mayotte. Energies, 17(12). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.3390/en17122904

Rabaan, H., & Dombrowski, L. (2024). Healing Structures: Sociotechnical Mechanisms for Centering Survivors of Domestic Violence within US-Based Marginalized Communities. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 8(CSCW2). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1145/3687039

Romine, P., Hozien, W., Egarievwe, S. U., Sarwat, A., Dulloo, A. R., & Dickmann, E. M. (2024). Fostering Energy Justice: Engaging Communities for a Sustainable Nuclear Future. Pac. Basin Nucl. Conf., PBNC, 602–611. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.13182/PBNC24-45042

Sheng, K. (2024). Analysis of civil and commercial law protection based on decentralized Internet. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences, 9(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.2478/amns.2023.2.00781

Shuster, J. J. (2024). Central Management of Research Misconduct in the USA and Canada. Canadian Journal of Bioethics, 7(4), 131–137. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.7202/1114970ar

Signorin, S. (2024). Digitalisation of judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters within the European Union: Cross-border taking of evidence through the prysm of decentralised IT platform e-CODEX. Cuadernos de Derecho Transnacional, 16(1), 603–620. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.20318/cdt.2024.8437

Thakur, A. N. (2024). Access to Institutional Credit and Socio-economic Inequality: Implications for Social Justice in Rural Bihar. Dalam Development with Justice: Te Bihar Experience (hlm. 206–217). Taylor and Francis; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032626413-17

Zhong, M., & Tandon, R. (2024). Intrinsic Fairness-Accuracy Tradeoffs under Equalized Odds. IEEE Int Symp Inf Theor Proc, 220–225. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISIT57864.2024.10619526

Authors

Carlos Pérez
carloss@gmail.com (Primary Contact)
Isabel López
Francisco López
Pérez, C., López, I., & López, F. (2025). Blockchain-Based Evidence and Legal Validity: Reformulating Norms for Decentralized Justice Systems. Rechtsnormen: Journal of Law, 3(2), 180–189. https://doi.org/10.70177/rjl.v3i2.2215

Article Details

No Related Submission Found