Cyberspace as a source of evidence

On 19–20 February 2026, the National School of Judges of Ukraine, in collaboration with the EU ‘Pravo-Justice’ Project, held a two-day training course for judges in Kyiv entitled ‘The Specifics and Special Legal Status of Electronic Evidence: Contemporary Challenges’.

The aim of the event was to enhance judges’ professional competence in dealing with electronic evidence, in particular by exploring its legal nature, the specifics of its assessment and admissibility, as well as analysing contemporary challenges related to digitalisation and the development of information technologies.

The training session involved judges from the Supreme Court, courts of appeal and courts of first instance, as well as lawyers and leading experts in the fields of forensic science and digital technology. In particular, these included Pavel Rybicki, an international expert with the EU ‘Pravo-Justice’ Project; Supreme Court judges Andrii Zhuk and Ian Bernaziuk; as well as other specialists.

Over the course of two days, participants discussed general provisions regarding electronic evidence and its legal nature, practical aspects of examining digital evidence, the case law of the Supreme Court, as well as the specifics of commissioning computer-technical, photographic, video and phonoscopic expert examinations and the preservation of electronic evidence.

Particular attention was paid to the impact of AI technologies on the collection, analysis and assessment of evidence, as well as to safeguards for the right to privacy when working with digital materials.

The issues of the reliability of electronic and digital evidence and the alignment of national legislation with European Union standards were also examined in detail.

The training combined interactive lectures, discussions of key issues and practical case studies. This format allowed participants not only to update their knowledge but also to develop common approaches to the assessment of electronic evidence in judicial practice.

Holding such events is a necessary step in strengthening the judicial system’s capacity to respond effectively to the challenges of the digital age and to ensure an adequate level of human rights protection.