On 29 Sept. 2022, Shanghai Maritime Court held a symposium on “The Impact of Blockchain Technology’s Application on Maritime Justice and Relevant Service Guarantee Needs” and released the “Guidelines for Blockchain Evidence Review” (hereinafter the “Guidelines”, 區塊鏈證據審查指南).
Chinese courts attach great importance to the role of blockchain in judicial activities, especially in evidence preservation, cross-department data sharing, mutual trust, and other areas.
As the evidence preservation services provided by judicial blockchain and third-party blockchain platforms greatly facilitate litigation, the electronic evidence stored on blockchain has been recognized by Chinese courts in judicial practice.
Earlier in this May, China’s Supreme People’s Court issued the “Opinions of the Supreme People’s Court on Strengthening the Judicial Application of Blockchain” (hereinafter the “Opinions”, 最高人民法院關于加強區塊鏈司法應用的意見), which refines the rules for the judicial application of blockchain.
On the basis of the Opinions, the Shanghai Maritime Court formulated the Guidelines, thereby introducing blockchain evidence to maritime trials.
In addition to the judicial blockchain platforms and third-party preservation platforms which are currently widely applied, the Guidelines also considers the electronic evidence generated by blockchain bills of lading, port management, cross-border settlement and other application platforms.
Cover Photo by Night Glow on Unsplash
Contributors: CJO Staff Contributors Team
