> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.lpp-minduniverse.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.lpp-minduniverse.org/lingua-pactum-protocol-lpp-documentation/3.canonical-governance-architecture/3.7-evidence-plane.md).

# 3.7 Evidence Plane

The Evidence Plane preserves the information necessary to reconstruct governance legitimacy.

Its objective is not simply to generate more logs.

Traditional logs primarily answer:

> **What happened?**

The Evidence Plane is designed to answer:

> **Why was this action admitted, refused, or otherwise classified under the governing state at that time?**

#### Admission Artifact

The primary LPP evidence object is the **Admission Artifact**.

At the technical level, an Admission Artifact is designed as a signed, structured, tamper-evident proof object.

Relevant fields may include references or hashes associated with:

* principal identity,
* authority identity,
* authority state,
* authorized scope,
* execution intent,
* risk or consequence classification,
* policy version,
* Permit,
* nonce,
* timestamp,
* execution result,
* and Control Plane signature.

The exact public schema is specified later.

#### Artifact ≠ Ordinary Log

The distinction is important.

A conventional log might record:

```
10:31:05
transfer_funds executed
```

A governance Artifact should make it possible to reconstruct information such as:

```
Who was the principal?

What Authority Object applied?

Was the authority ACTIVE?

What scope was granted?

What intent was bound?

What policy or governance version applied?

Which Permit authorized the execution?

Was the Permit replayed?

Had revocation occurred?

What execution result corresponds to the authorization?
```

This transforms evidence from narrative description into structured governance proof.

#### Independent Reconstruction

The evidence model is intended to support verification without requiring blind trust in the system that performed the action.

A reference reconstruction path may involve:

```
Admission Artifact
        ↓
Control Plane Public Key
        ↓
Policy / Governance Snapshot
        ↓
Authority State
        ↓
Scope State
        ↓
Revocation State
        ↓
Execution Result
```

The objective is:

> **Independently reconstructable governance.**

#### Evidence and Decision States

The current GitBook v2.0 protocol architecture treats evidence as relevant to all Layer 0 decision states:

```
ADMIT
DENY
DEFER
COLLAPSE
```

The existing Admission Artifact Verification Specification v1.0 is strongest and most explicit around reconstructing authority-bound admitted execution.

The current executable MVP likewise primarily demonstrates artifacts associated with its implemented `ADMIT` and `DENY` paths.

Accordingly, two levels must be distinguished:

**Protocol-level evidence model**

Evidence should preserve the basis of the Layer 0 decision.

**Current implementation / validation scope**

Artifact behavior is claimed only where implemented and validated.

This distinction follows the general evidence rule:

```
Specified
≠
Implemented
≠
Validated
≠
Independently Reproduced
```

#### Evidence Does Not Retroactively Create Legitimacy

Evidence records or proves governance state.

It does not retroactively authorize an action that lacked authority at execution time.

Therefore:

```
Strong audit trail
⇏
Valid prior authority
```

A perfect record of an unauthorized action remains evidence of an unauthorized action.

Evidence supports accountability.

It does not substitute for admission.