Legal Challenges in the Prosecution of Cybercrimes Under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016

Abstract

The gift qualitative studies tested the felony problems the prosecution of cybercrimes faces in Pakistan thru the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA). The have a look at become carried out with the assist of a combination of a doctrinal and qualitative method to criminal evaluation and empirical research of fourteen prison practitioners, judges, cybercrime investigators, and felony pupils who participated withinside the take a look at with the assist of purposive and snowball sampling at some point of Pakistan. Interpreted thematic evaluation of the interview facts changed into triangulated with the doctrinal evaluation of statutory provisions, pronounced judgments and secondary prison literature. There have been 5 predominant thematic regions of challenge, namely, evidentiary demanding situations and inadequacies in virtual forensics; conceptual ambiguities and shortcomings in legislative drafting; complexities in jurisdiction and enforcement demanding situations; procedural due technique lines and demanding situations in essential rights; institutional capability troubles withinside the crook justice system. The outcomes suggest that despite the fact that PECA 2016 is a groundbreaking legislative alternate withinside the virtual criminal surroundings of Pakistan, the act is full of interpretative ambiguities, enforcement loopholes, and institutional shortcomings which might be systematically hindering the powerful prosecution of cybercrimes. The studies affords novel empirical and theoretical contributions to the nonetheless enormously new frame of studies at the regulation of cybercrime withinside the Global South and progresses precise tips on the subject of legislative extrade, ability development, and procedural modernization.