Towards Grassroots Virtual Justice: the Role of ngo s and Investigative Journalism in ‘Open-Source Intelligence’ for the Purposes of Investigations into Public Corruption

An article entitled "Towards Grassroots Virtual Justice: the Role of NGOs and Investigative Journalism in ‘Open-Source Intelligence’ for the Purposes of Investigations into Public Corruption" has been published in the "European Journal of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice". One of its co-authors is Gniewomir Wycichowski-Kuchta, Senior Associate in the Regulatory Advisory, Legislation and Compliance Practice.

The authors examine how the development of cyberspace is reshaping the realities of criminal investigations, particularly in corruption cases involving politically exposed persons. They place special emphasis on the growing role of open-source intelligence (OSINT), as well as on the importance of activities undertaken by non-governmental organisations and investigative journalists in the detection and documentation of criminal offences.

The article also highlights significant regulatory gaps in European law, including in the context of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and the EU e-evidence package. According to the authors, effective prosecution of crime in the digital environment requires moving away from traditional models of criminal investigation and embracing public–private cooperation, as well as new methods of obtaining and using electronic evidence.

The article is available on the BRILL website.