Procedural reliability of digital evidence in pre-trial criminal proceedings: A forensic-legal assessment framework
Palavras-chave:
Digital Evidence, Procedural Reliability, Pre-Trial Criminal Proceedings, Chain Of Custody, Forensic Integrity, Algorithmic Accountability, Criminal ProcedureResumo
This study examines procedural reliability of digital evidence during pre-trial criminal proceedings and addresses the gap between technical integrity, evidentiary authenticity, and procedural legality. Existing legal and forensic approaches focus on judicial admissibility or technical verification, while the development of reliability during investigations remains underexplored. The research defines reliability as an autonomous procedural-legal category formed through compliance with legal safeguards throughout the lifecycle of digital evidence. The study applies a doctrinal-empirical legal-forensic methodology combining doctrinal analysis, procedural reconstruction of evidentiary processes, and adversarial validation modeling. Its empirical basis includes 72 cases involving digital evidence handling at the pre-trial stage. The analysis identifies key reliability criteria: procedural legality, continuity of custody, integrity, authenticity, technical verifiability, and institutional accountability. To operationalize these factors, the study develops the Comprehensive Reliability Index (CRI), a framework for reliability assessment in investigative and prosecutorial practice. Findings indicate that reliability depends primarily on procedural transparency, continuity, and documentation quality rather than technological sophistication alone. The study also shows that technically imperfect evidence may remain reliable when deviations are traceable, justified, and documented. Special attention is given to AI-assisted forensic systems, including explainability, algorithmic accountability, and procedural transparency. The proposed framework supports investigators, prosecutors, forensic specialists, and courts.
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