Blockchain for Democratic Justice: Innovating the Service of Judicial Documents to Uphold the Rule of Law

The service of judicial documents is fundamental to ensuring access to justice, as outlined in Article 47(2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. This paper explores the evolving legal framework for serving judicial documents in the EU, with a particular focus on the Recast Service of Documents Regulation. The Regulation introduces the possibility of electronic service, addressing inefficiencies in traditional methods. However, challenges remain due to varying national procedural laws and technological limitations. This paper examines how blockchain technology could enhance the electronic service of judicial documents, offering a more secure, efficient, and interoperable solution across Member States. By leveraging blockchains’ decentralised and immutable characteristics, the service process could become more reliable, particularly in cross-border disputes, thus strengthening procedural guarantees within the EU.