The Evidentary Issues Arising from the Proposed Use of the Satellite Based Vehicle Monitoring System and Electronic Logbooks in the Fishcam Project within the European Union

This paper examines the admissibility and probative weight of evidence derived from software on board fishing vessels in several jurisdictions within the EU and defines the legal obstacles and likely impediments to its value. Furthermore, the study describes and analyses the legal situation in the different EU member states regarding the use and legal acceptance of evidence derived from electronic sources and data contained in electronic documents. The study also considers the practice among public authorities in certain European States to adopt electronic documents as official in consonance with the laws implementing the EU directive on electronic signature.