Implementation of blockchain in the public judicial system and in ADR

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Lorena Pérez Campillo
Universidad Europea de Madrid
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8047-0293

Blockchain is presented as a complementary support tool in the Public Judicial System and in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) systems that, without being miraculous, has the potential to improve management, transparency and efficiency, enabling the registration and the verification of legal documents as well as agility in dispute resolution. 


However, its application faces significant and serious regulatory, legal and operational obstacles, and its adoption is limited due to its emerging nature. The lack of regulatory development is one of the main obstacles, as current legislation does not recognize blockchain records as valid evidentiary public documents. Similarly, smart contracts lack explicit legal recognition to give them full evidentiary force. 


To this end, it is proposed to create a specific law on the use of blockchain in legal proceedings where it is recognized as a means of proof and the requirements to be met alongside a debate on the regulation of ADR and platforms such as Keros similar to what the United Kingdom has done. On the other hand, digital verifiable credentials, aligned with eIDAS2, would offer secure identification in judicial processes, improving authentication, access to files and interjurisdictional validation, thus speeding up national and international procedures.

Keywords
public judicial system, ADR, blockchain, smart contracts, regulatory challenges

Article Details

How to Cite
Pérez Campillo, Lorena. “Implementation of blockchain in the public judicial system and in ADR”. IDP. Internet, Law and Politics E-Journal, 2025, no. 42, doi:10.7238/idp.v0i42.429135.
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(c) Lorena Pérez Campillo, 2025


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Author Biography

Lorena Pérez Campillo, Universidad Europea de Madrid

She holds a PhD in Law from the University Carlos III of Madrid (UC3M) and is accredited by ANECA. She teaches at the European University on the Master Degree in IP and Technology Law, Data Protection and Public Management, as well as on the Degree in Law in subjects such as Civil Law, General Law and Public Liberties and Fundamental Rights. She is also a mentor for the Legal Tech program at ESADE and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At the same time, she teaches on the Master Degree in Telecommunications Law at UC3M, the Master Degree in Legal Tech at the Universidad San Pablo CEU, and the Master Degree in Artificial Intelligence at UDIT. She was a contracted academic researcher at the Chair of Law and the Human Genome. In addition, she has received the second prize for research from the Basque Data Protection Agency and the entrepreneurship award from UC3M, and has recently been nominated as a candidate for Top Women Leaders (academics) of the year by El Español.

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