Draft EU directive on electronic signatures

[Richard Snow]

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>The European Commission has produced a draft directive on electronic
>signatures
>(which term includes digital signatures).  If adopted by the Parliament and
>Council, the directive will require member states (MS) to pass laws (before
>1/1/2000 ?) which have the following effect EU-wide:
>--- A legal presumption that digital signatures supported by a qualifying
>certificate guarantee integrity and authenticate the signer and the signer's
>intention to sign.  Digitally signed data to have the same legal status as
>documents signed in ink and to be admissible in court.  Rebuttal possible on
>the basis of technical problems with the verifying system (sic).

A real can of worms, this one...
	Who decides whether or not a technical problem exists?
	What level of proof is required?
	Does the court use expert witnesses?
	Will the court take any notice of expert witnesses?
	Could we see the Munden case all over again?


I can see it all - the Standard Defence Against Actions For Breach Of Contract:
I deny it, yr Honour, my (digital) signature was forged, the CSP's
certification software was faulty, and I call Ross Anderson as my expert
witness....

	... Richard Snow.


Dr C.R.Snow
Department of Computing Science
University of Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
United Kingdom.

E-mail: C.R.Snow@newcastle.ac.uk
Phone:  +44 191 222 8064
Fax:    +44 191 222 8232
WWW: http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/people/c.r.snow/

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