The Basel Court of Appeal has ruled SkyECC evidence inadmissible in Swiss proceedings, citing violations of territorial sovereignty, lack of individual suspicion, ordre public concerns, and incomplete data disclosure. The judgment marks a significant shift in how courts assess cross-border digital surveillance and strengthens defence rights in international criminal cases.

A report from Petersberger Tage 2026 on international criminal defence and the growing importance of cross-border cooperation in cases involving EncroChat, SkyECC, jurisdiction, forum shopping and strategic defence practice across Europe.

Analysing the Dutch Supreme Court ruling on EU law primacy. Critical implications for EncroChat, SkyECC, and ANOM cases regarding the admissibility of evidence.

CJEU judgment on preliminary references and EU law in domestic criminal defence As European criminal defence lawyers, we have witnessed in recent years the significant influence of EU law on criminal trials at national level. The Court of Justice of the European Union is increasingly ruling on matters within the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, while EU legislation has already been introducing new rules, including in the field of criminal law. A Decision That Changes th

CJEU Grand Chamber, 17 March 2026 — Case C‑8/24 We are seeing a sharp increase in cross-border asset freezing and confiscation requests reaching our clients across Europe. Foreign confiscation orders — transmitted under Regulation (EU) 2018/1805 — are being enforced faster, broader, and with less scrutiny than ever before. Clients are waking up to find their bank accounts frozen, their shares blocked, their businesses paralysed — on the basis of proceedings conducted in anot

STS 47/2026 and the International Definition of Cannabis as a Defence Argument

Our co-founder and partner Justus Reisinger has achieved an initial victory in proceedings against Europol and Eurojust before the General Court, even if this only becomes clear at second glance.

What was discussed at the Fair Trials conference in Athens? The conference addressed prison overcrowding, refugee criminalisation, the use of AI in criminal justice, threats to judicial independence and cross-border defence challenges, with JDT contributing its expertise, including on the SkyECC case before the ECJ.

In recent days, numerous press reports have appeared concerning decisions by Italian judges declaring EncroChat and SkyECC evidence inadmissible.

In recent weeks, the legal landscape regarding the reliability of digital evidence has faced intense scrutiny. As landmark rulings emerge across Europe, the "blind trust" in encrypted data is being replaced by fundamental principles of a fair trial.

Joint Defense Team (JDT) 2025 Year in Review. European criminal defence lawyers coordinate strategies for complex, multi-country investigations. Expert insights on SkyECC, EncroChat, ANOM, and digital evidence legality.

The Zurich High Court rules foreign SkyECC data inadmissible. Read how this landmark decision establishes an absolute exclusion principle for evidence seized in breach of Swiss territoriality.

France's highest court affirms that collecting digital evidence across EU borders requires Article 31 notification (Directive 2014/41/EU), impacting major transnational criminal cases.

EUROPOL: Mass Surveillance & AI Mining? How defence lawyers champion fundamental rights. Read now!

EncroChat and SkyECC legal defence update 2025 – Joint Defense Team

Christian Lödden reveals the ANOM leaks: How FBI and Lithuanian police misled judges – hundreds of convictions in Germany and Europe now at risk.

The Nimbus case highlights Spain’s strict stance on crypto fraud. Discover how the Joint Defense Team provides expert international criminal defense.

Expert international criminal defence for cryptocurrency and money laundering cases. Blockchain analysis, digital forensics, fair trial advocacy.

On 3 June 2025, the Cour de cassation refused to refer to the Conseil constitutionnel a question on the constitutionality of French law which, as currently drafted, denies the possibility of an effective remedy to persons prosecuted in criminal proceedings abroad, but on the basis of SkyECC evidence gathered in French proceedings.

Cross-border investigations are no longer a rarity but have become a daily occurrence for law enforcement agencies. Whether it's cyber fraud, ransomware attacks, money laundering using cryptocurrencies, or complex network intrusions – perpetrators operate globally, and authorities are following suit. The internationalisation of crime and the increasingly close cooperation among law enforcement agencies demand a corresponding response from criminal defence lawyers.