Current status and prospects of studying images of digital footprints in judicial handmark examination

The article deals with the problems of studying signatures and authentication records made with styluses on the screens of mobile devices, based on a particular theory of the digitalization of forensic activities and the doctrine of digital traces. The authors pay special attention to the prospects for the study of new objects of forensic handwriting examination, due to the transition to paperless or hybrid document management systems. The authors abstractly describe the results of the research work of the scientific school of forensic science of the University named after O. E. Kutafin (MSAL), including: the study of the conditions and features of the execution of manuscripts on the screens of mobile devices; clarification of existing and development of new general and particular features of handwriting and signature; classification of writing instruments (styluses) used to write manuscripts on screens. In the context of the problem under consideration, the authors pay special attention to the volume and nature of the special knowledge of a handwriting expert, which is necessary for him in the context of digitalization of forensic activities. The article also discusses domestic and foreign experience in legal regulation and forensic examination of the results of authentication procedures using simple digital signatures performed on the screens of mobile devices. The authors pay attention to technical standards in the field and biometric security of documents. To substantiate the relevance and practical significance of the issues under consideration, the authors present the results of an analysis of the judicial and investigative practice of considering court cases challenging signatures made on the screens of mobile devices and those cases in which the circumstances of the execution of signatures in electronic document management systems were taken into account by the courts when adopting solutions. In the conclusions and conclusion of the article, the authors formulated recommendations for the further development of methods and techniques for forensic handwriting identification of signatures and authentication records made on the screens of mobile devices, made proposals on the use of information in digital form for the selection of experimental samples in court hearings in order to solution of diagnostic problems of forensic handwriting examination. The article is accompanied by illustrative material and tabular data.