"Digital rights" and their role in modern criminal procedural evidence

Relevance . The modern criminal procedure should not lag behind the needs of society, which is why the introduction of digital technologies is necessary. However, these innovations should not compromise the rights of the participants in the criminal proceedings. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the rights of the participants in the criminal proceedings to focus on digital transformation. The purpose of the research is to identify the need to provide participants in the criminal proceedings with additional rights related to the digital transformation of law. The objectives of the research: to define the concept of "digital rights"; to consider the possibility of introducing digital technologies into criminal proceedings; to supplement the legal status of participants in criminal proceedings with new rights related to digitalization. The methodology of the research is presented by the dialectical method, the systemic approach, the formal legal method, the method of systematization, and the sociological method. Results . The research revealed the concept of "digital rights" and determined their role in ensuring the equality of participants in the criminal proceedings. While digitalization plays a positive role in transforming the criminal procedure, it should not undermine the existing legal system with its established moral principles. Based on the results of the study, the rights that can be additionally granted to participants in the criminal proceedings have been identified. Conclusion . The criminal procedure system must be prepared for the introduction of digital technologies. It is necessary to supplement the list of rights of participants in the criminal proceedings with "digital rights" and provide for a system of guarantees for their observance in the new conditions, while ensuring that the quality of existing rights does not decrease. The introduction of digital technologies is only possible if all citizens have equal access to them, in order to avoid legal inequality and maintain a balance of interests among participants in the criminal proceedings.