Redesigning digital evidence handling

Written by Piret Saartee, Head of the Digital Services Competence Centre, and Kadi Kanarbik, Senior Expert at the e-Governance Academy 

The digital transformation of justice systems is no longer a matter of innovation alone. As the volume and complexity of digital evidence continue to grow, traditional approaches to evidence management are increasingly unable to meet today’s operational, legal and technical demands.

The digital transformation has therefore become a necessity for sustaining efficiency, trust and legal certainty in modern societies. Digital evidence has become an essential part of modern criminal cases, yet it is often still handled through physical data carriers such as CD-ROMs, USB drives and external hard disks.

These practices introduce vulnerabilities – from data loss and deterioration to unauthorised access and broken chains of custody – undermining both efficiency and legal reliability. To respond to these challenges, the entire digital evidence-handling process – together with criminal case management – must be redesigned.

This shift requires moving away from fragmented and manual workflows towards integrated, secure and centralised systems that ensure the highest levels of availability, integrity and confidentiality.

In practice, this means storing digital evidence and criminal case data in central components that significantly streamline workflows, enable controlled access for authorised institutions, strengthen traceability and support reliable chain-of-custody management.

Such systems also facilitate the efficient reuse of evidence across proceedings and provide a scalable, future-proof foundation capable of handling rapidly increasing data volumes and future EU-level integrations.

An approach to process redesign

Redesigning digital evidence management is not a purely technical exercise – it is a systemic transformation that affects the entire justice ecosystem. Such a change requires engaging stakeholders from day one and ensuring that their needs, constraints and expectations are understood and addressed throughout the process.

The first step is to develop a comprehensive understanding of stakeholder and end-user needs, existing evidence management processes, information systems and architecture, as well as the broader legislative and strategic context. Mapping current practices helps identify key challenges, opportunities and areas for improvement, creating a shared understanding of why change is necessary.

Based on this analysis, a future vision can be developed using an interactive and collaborative approach. This ensures that the proposed solution is aligned with operational realities, user needs and legal requirements while remaining technically feasible. Throughout the project, business, technical and legal perspectives must be integrated to avoid siloed solutions.

As agreed by stakeholders, digital evidence management should function as a seamless and efficient ecosystem, based on a unified governance model and designed to support the entire digital evidence lifecycle – from collection and storage to use, reuse and archiving.

Critical enablers for avoiding failure

Successful digital transformation is as much about people and organisations as it is about technology. Even the most advanced technical solutions will fail without clear governance, defined ownership and sustained change management that supports institutions and individuals through the transition.

A strong regulatory framework must be complemented by agreed data management and information security principles, a coherent system architecture and standardised business processes. However, these elements alone are not sufficient. Continuous communication, stakeholder engagement and capacity-building are essential to ensure that new ways of working are understood, accepted and adopted across institutions.

Strong leadership and central governance play a critical role in driving change. Clear ownership must be established early, and cooperation between evidence providers and justice institutions must be maintained. Change leaders at both managerial and operational levels are needed to translate strategic objectives into day-to-day practices and to address resistance, uncertainty and concerns as they arise.

Success also depends on a realistic roadmap and trust across institutions. Organisational adaptation matters the most Implementation requires significant investment – not only in infrastructure, security, integration and operations but also in training, support and organisational adaptation.

While costs can be estimated, the risks of inaction, such as evidence loss, compromised integrity, failed prosecutions or inadmissibility in court, are difficult to calculate but can potentially be severe, with a lasting impact on justice and public trust.

For this reason, the transformation must be delivered in a phased and coordinated manner, involving all key stakeholders to ensure legal compliance and operational suitability.

Digital evidence management should be treated as a national priority, supported by stable longterm funding that also covers ongoing change management activities. It is not merely an IT upgrade but a foundational capability for the justice system.

Without sustained political and organisational commitment, fragmentation and inefficiencies risk undermining the shared vision. Principles that guide Clear organisational and technical principles must guide both implementation and change.

wnership of central components must be clearly defined, along with roles and responsibilities for data controllers and processors. Criminal case data and digital evidence should be stored centrally and accessed securely by authorised stakeholders only. High standards of availability, integrity and confidentiality are essential, but so is usability.

All processes should follow the “once-only” principle, ensuring that information and evidence are stored and accessed from a single trusted source, reducing duplication and user burden. A dedicated support structure, including a helpdesk, training programmes and a shared knowledge hub, is critical to support users during and after the transition.

Change built to last

After implementation, change management does not end. Governance must evolve into a sustainable operating model that supports continuous improvement. Clear ownership and oversight must be maintained, supported by a coordinating body bringing together justice institutions and law enforcement.

Ongoing training, user support and feedback mechanisms help ensure that systems evolve alongside legal, technological and operational developments. Together, these elements ensure that digital evidence management remains resilient, interoperable and fit for future demands.