New Wine in Old Wineskins? New problems in the use of electronic evidence in human rights investigations and prosecutions

As new media, digital technologies, and mobile devices increasingly become primary sources of human rights documentation, the process of collecting and preserving evidence becomes increasingly important. This report, prepared for the working group on electronic evidence organized by the Center for Research Libraries Global Resources Network, reviews the experience of various international tribunals and legal actors in using electronic evidence of human rights violations in judicial settings and in human rights investigations. It aims to shed light on how methods of collection and preservation, as well as authentication practices and chain of custody procedures, might facilitate the use of electronic documentation in the investigation, prosecution, and trial of human rights violations.