Continuity of Evidence
Definition
The UK courts' term for the same concept as chain of custody: the requirement that the prosecution can account for the movement and custody of evidence between collection and trial.
- Field
- Chain of custody for clinical specimens
- Jurisdiction
- UK courts
- Equivalent term
- Chain of custody
- Requirement
- Prosecution accounts for movement and custody to trial
Common questions
Why do UK courts use a different term for the same concept as chain of custody?+
It reflects a difference in legal terminology and procedural tradition rather than a substantive difference in the underlying requirement; both continuity of evidence and chain of custody require the party relying on an exhibit to show an unbroken, documented account of who held it and when between seizure or collection and its production in court.
How is continuity of evidence typically proven in UK proceedings?+
Through witness statements or exhibit labels from each person who handled the item, corroborated by contemporaneous records such as evidence bags with signed seals, laboratory receipt logs, and transport documentation, allowing the prosecution to trace the specimen's custody at each step from collection to the courtroom.
Related terms
- Chain of Custody
- The documented chronological record of who collected, handled, transferred, and examined a piece of evidence. For digital evidence, chain of custody includes...
- Evidence Kit
- A standardised collection of envelopes, swabs, slides, and forms provided by the jurisdiction's law enforcement or health authority for use in sexual...
- Spoilation
- The destruction, loss, or alteration of evidence in litigation, whether intentional or negligent. Courts may impose sanctions including adverse inference instructions when...
- Tamper-Evident Seal
- A physical barrier (tape, sticker, wax) applied to packaging that shows visible damage if the package has been opened after sealing. Courts...
- Transfer Documentation
- The written record of evidence moving from one person or location to another, specifying the date, time, persons involved, condition of the...