UK Ministry of Justice will implement blockchain for for the verification of digital evidence

UK Ministry of Justice got interested in the technology of blockchain. The department plans to create a special registry with video recordings from the crime scene for optimization of litigation and investigations. It was announced by Alistar Davidson, the technical architect of the department in the blog of the ministry.

The registry will contain not video recordings by themselves, but metadata, hash flies and a links to file location. The directory of records will be publicly available and a person will need a special authority in order to make changes in blockchain. But data can be changed before making a blockchain record.

Such a novelty can be useful for determining the authenticity of a record provided as material evidence in court. Such technology can make more transparent the law enforcement work for ordinary citizens.

Problems and details of the solution offered are described in the technical report called “Blockchain of Evidence” published by the Ministry of Justice.

It is possible the Ministry will further use the technology for other files too, for instance for digital documentation.

The governments of other countries are also thinking about similar state solutions. In 2016 the Ministry of Justice of Georgia stated, it is technically ready to transfer to blockchain the documents storage system. Ukraine also started to use the protocol of cryptocurrencies when holding auctions for the sale of arrested assets and plans to implement it in voting system.

The land cadastre of Dubai is working fully on blockchain. The authorities of Japan are considering the same solution.