Why Jools’ Law Must Be Compulsory: Preserving Digital Evidence After a Death

Jools looking at a laptop in despair

When a child dies, families are plunged into a world of unimaginable grief, confusion, and unanswered questions. In today’s digital age, some of the most vital clues as to why that death occurred may not lie in a diary or a note, but in the data held by social media and messaging platforms. Data, which is currently almost impossible for bereaved families or coroners to access promptly. 

Too many families are experiencing the same appalling scenario: they ask for their child’s digital data to be preserved and requested only to be ignored.

I raised a few cases directly with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) at my last meeting, and they assured me that they would pass this on to the coroner concerned. 

However, STILL, no data has been preserved and requested as in the example of  Ms L.  Her daughter died in January 2025.  I raised the issue of preserving the data with the MOJ and was assured they would follow up with the coroner.  Last week, Ms L was told by the Coroner’s office, “You can talk about these things at the pre-inquest in October”.  9 months after the death of her daughter!!

In digital terms, that’s a lifetime. How much data will have gone?

Social media platforms do not store data indefinitely. Without a legal preservation order, conversations are deleted, accounts are deactivated, and messages disappear. Evidence is lost. And with it, any chance of understanding what really happened.

This is why Jools’ Law must be compulsory — not just a polite option or a bureaucratic process to consider, but a legal requirement that, upon the death of a child (or indeed, any person under suspicious or unclear circumstances), digital data is immediately requested and preserved.

It’s Not Just About Children

Although Jools’ Law was inspired by my 14-year-old son Jools, who died in April 2022, this is not an issue exclusive to children. Adults, too, die in unexplained or suspicious circumstances, and families are left with no way to access potential answers locked behind passwords and platform policies.

If a person is found dead in a home, the police don’t wait eight months to collect the laptop. So why are we waiting months to access the contents of that laptop or their online accounts? Data is the new scene of the crime. It’s time our procedures reflected that.

The Law Must Change — And Fast

Coroners must be required to issue immediate Data Preservation Notices in any case where digital evidence could be relevant. This should not be left to the discretion of grieving families or delayed by administrative bottlenecks. In one case, the bereaved parents were told, "You aren't priority"!

In Jools’ Name and for All Who Deserve Answers

Jools didn’t leave a note. Like so many young people today, if he had shared his fears, pressures, or distress, it likely would have been in a message, a DM, a Snap. We may never know for certain because his data hasn’t been obtained.

This isn’t just about one child. It’s about every person whose digital life might hold the key to justice, truth, or closure.

Support Jools’ Law. Make digital data preservation compulsory after death.

#JoolsLaw #OnlineSafety #DigitalJustice #DataAfterDeath #BereavedFamiliesForOnlineSafety