Towards a global security and visibility framework for Justice in Europe

Objective

With several states starting to implement ID smart cards, the eJustice project meets a clear need by helping to solve one of today's major IT security problems. The central issue is proving that the users of a system are the persons they claim to be. Tackling this problem will help improve simultaneously the security of civil society in Europe, the privacy of the citizen, and provide interoperable access to digital information.

The project will develop a seamless environment which:
- uses ID smart cards to authenticate individuals,
- links this authentication process with the electronic signature of individuals in a number of existing PKIs, already approved by various administrations,
- links a person's electronic signature with their rights to access digital data,
- links a workflow representation of a legal process with the simultaneous legal rights of the individual.

The research will focus on biometric algorithms suitable for use with smart cards, rights management with existing public key infrastructures and PKI interoperability, workflow representation of judicial processes, workflow optimisation and proof of workflow equivalence. This research is targeted at improving the efficiency of the legal process (to reduce delays and risks of procedure errors), thanks to the use by approved users of computer aided tools and industrial methods. For this, eJustice will define, develop, test, and prepare the rollout of a complete and innovative system to improve security and visibility.

Some potential users are:
- magistrates and other civil servants of national justice and home affairs administrations (criminal, civil, commercial legal services), legal auxiliaries (lawyers, notaries, experts, etc.), European crime prevention organisations,
- researchers in the fields of justice, social and political sciences, IT,
- citizens of European member states, accession and associated states.

Fields of science

• natural sciencescomputer and information sciencescomputer securitycryptography
• social sciencespolitical sciencespolitical policiescivil society

Programme(s)

• FP6-IST - Information Society Technologies: thematic priority under the specific programme "Integrating and strengthening the European research area" (2002-2006).

Topic(s)

• IST-2002-2.3.1.5 - Towards a global dependability and security framework

Call for proposal

Funding Scheme

Coordinator

Participants (14)