A proactive approach to legal privilege in the light of electronic communication

Gyurász Zoltán (), Hamuľák Ondrej () and Dražová Petra ()
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Gyurász Zoltán: Faculty of Law, Institute of Information Technology Law and Intellectual Property Law, Comenius University in Bratislava, Šafárikovo nám. č. 6, P.O. box 313, Bratislava 810 00, Slovakia
Hamuľák Ondrej: Department of International and European Law, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. listopadu 930/8, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic; Department of Law, School of Business and Governance, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, Tallinn 19086, Estonia
Dražová Petra: Faculty of Law, Institute of Information Technology Law and Intellectual Property Law, Comenius University in Bratislava, Šafárikovo nám. č. 6, P.O. box 313, Bratislava 810 00, Slovakia

TalTech Journal of European Studies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 1, 83-105

Abstract: This article explores the proactive management of legal professional privilege (LPP) in the context of electronic communication, addressing the lack of clarity regarding how the shift to digital communication has affected this fundamental safeguard. Despite LPP being a cornerstone of democratic legal systems, serving both client interests and the administration of justice, the implications of overreliance on electronic communication on this privilege remain largely unexplored. Several questions arise about how this impacts the LPP itself, what challenges attorneys face in maintaining this privilege in digital environments and whether the current legal frameworks are adequate to address the complexities introduced by these technologies. These questions mark a wide gap in understanding, as cases involving the misuse of technology and inadvertent disclosures have started to emerge. The proactive legal approach in lawyering could prioritize risk management and litigation avoidance while simultaneously enhancing the protection of legal privilege in this context. This paper argues that maintaining LPP currently presents unprecedented challenges and aims to advocate for proactive consideration of specific issues, allowing practitioners to preserve the integrity of client confidentiality and fair representation.

Keywords: confidentiality; electronic communication; legal professional privilege; proactive law; professional secrecy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:bjeust:v:15:y:2025:i:1:p:83-105:n:1006

DOI: 10.2478/bjes-2025-0006

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