7A Electronic seals and related certificates

(1) In any legal proceedings—

(a) an electronic seal incorporated into or logically associated with a particular electronic communication or particular electronic data, and

(b) the certification by any person of such a seal,

shall each be admissible in evidence in relation to any question as to the authenticity of the communication or data, the integrity of the communication or data, or both.

(2) For the purposes of this section an electronic seal is so much of anything in electronic form as—

(a) is incorporated into or otherwise logically associated with electronic communication or electronic data; and

(b) purports to ensure the origin and integrity of the communication or data.

(3) For the purposes of this section an electronic seal incorporated into or associated with a particular electronic communication or particular electronic data is certified by any person if that person (whether before or after the making of the communication) has made a statement confirming that—

(a) the seal,

(b) a means of producing, communicating or verifying the seal, or

(c) a procedure applied to the seal,

is (either alone or in combination with other factors) a valid means of ensuring the origin of the communication or data, the integrity of the communication or data, or both.