Abstract
<jats:p>The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the legal regulation of the use of electronic (digital) evidence in the criminal process of Ukraine, due to the rapid development of the digitalization of society. The relevance of the study is substantiated, associated with the growth in the number of criminal offenses, the use of information technologies, as well as the increasing role of digital data as a source of evidentiary information. It is established that the current criminal procedural legislation of Ukraine does not contain a clear definition of the concept of "electronic (digital) evidence". This leads to their heterogeneous interpretation in law enforcement practice, complicating the formation of a unified approach to their assessment. The legal nature of electronic (digital) evidence, their characteristic features and place in the system of procedural sources of evidence are studied. Their dual nature, combining a material carrier and intangible information content, is determined. Special attention is paid to the problems of collecting, recording, storing and studying electronic (digital) evidence, in particular in terms of ensuring authentication, integrity and admissibility. An analysis of judicial practice and scientific approaches to determining the status of electronic (digital) evidence is conducted. The main problems that arise in the process of law enforcement agencies and the court are outlined. The lack of unified standards for working with electronic (digital) evidence, insufficient regulation of the procedures for their receipt and processing, and the imperfection of international cooperation mechanisms affect the effective investigation of criminal offenses. Within this framework, the need to implement the principle of "chain of evidence preservation", the use of modern technical and cryptographic methods in order to ensure the reliability of digital information and improve the regulatory framework has been identified. Based on the results of the study, it is proposed to improve the criminal procedural legislation of Ukraine, in particular in terms of defining the concept of electronic (digital) evidence, to consolidate the procedure for their processing and expanding the procedural capabilities of subjects of criminal proceedings. The practical significance of the results obtained lies in the possibility of their use in law enforcement activities and the rule-making process in order to increase the efficiency of the use of digital evidence.</jats:p>