Delegation and digital mandates: Legal requirements and security objectives

Now that more and more legal transactions are being performed online, it is increasingly necessary to enable integration of legal mandates within identity and information management systems. The purpose of this article is to outline the legal framework surrounding delegation and to identify basic requirements for any technical application which seeks to provide recognition to legal mandates and delegation processes. Special consideration is also given to the legal implications in situations where a (presumed) mandate holder acts without or outside his authority. Based on these considerations, this article attempts to outline an approach which can significantly reduce the potential risks for both mandate issuers and relying service providers.