Question

Explain the concept of Chain of Custody and the steps you should take to insure compliance with its requirements. Be specific in your answer and support your ideas.

Answer 1

Chain of custody in legal contexts refers to the chronological documentation or paper evidence that records the sequence of custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of physical or electronic evidence.

Particularly important in criminal cases, this concept is also sometimes applied in civil litigation—and sometimes more broadly in drug testing of athletes, and in supply chain management, e.g. to improve the traceability of food products, or to provide assurances that wood products originate from sustainably managed forests etc. These are some examples which explain why one must care about the chain of custody.