Abstract: A system and method for key escrow cryptography for use in a system comprising a sender and a receiver. Only public escrow keys are stored in the sender and the receiver. The sender encrypts a message using a secret session key (KS), and generates a leaf verification string (LVS) by combining an unique program identifier (UIP), a public portion of a program unique key (KUpub), and a signature. The sender encrypts the KS using the KUpub to generate a first encrypted session key (EKS), and generates a first law enforcement access field (LEAF) by encrypting a combination of the first EKS and the UIP with a copy of a public portion of a family key (KFpub) stored in the sender. The encrypted message, the LVS, and the first LEAF are transmitted from the sender to the receiver. The receiver stores therein a public portion of the KEPF key (KEPFpub). The receiver extracts the UIP, KUpub, and the signature from the LVS, and then encrypts the KS using the extracted KUpub to generate a second encrypted session key (EKS).