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BSI British Standards publishes new standard on evidential weight and legal admissibility of electronic information

Buy BS 10008

BSI British Standards has published BS 10008, Evidential weight and legal admissibility of electronic information – Specification. The standard sets out the requirements for the implementation and operation of electronic information management systems, including the storage and transfer of information, and addresses issues relating to authenticity and integrity of information. Legal admissibility concerns whether or not a piece of evidence would be accepted by a court of law. To ensure admissibility, information must be managed by a secure system throughout its lifetime (which can be for many years). Where doubt can be placed on the information, the evidential weight may be reduced, potentially harming the legal case.

BS 10008 ensures that any electronic information required as evidence of a business transaction is afforded the maximum evidential weight.

The process is based on the specification of the requirements for planning, implementing, operating, monitoring and improving the organization’s information management systems. Specific areas covered by the standard include:

• The management of electronic information over long period, including through technology changes, where information integrity is a vital business requirement

• How to manage the various risks associated with electronic information

• How to demonstrate the authenticity of electronic information

• The management of quality issues related to document scanning processes

• The provision of a full life history of an electronic object throughout its life.

Alan Shipman, chairman of the BSI committee responsible for the development of BS 10008, said: “The new standard is an important step in ensuring the admissibility of evidence in the UK. BS 10008 has been developed by a wide range of experts in the field of document management and has taken into account all the feedback received during the public comment period.”

BS 10008 combines some of the content of the BSI guides, BIP 0008-1, BIP 0008-2 and BIP 0008-3. BIPs 0008-1,2,3 are still current and can be used in parallel to BS 10008.