Spoliation letter
Definition
A written notice from one party to another (or to a third party with custody of the evidence) demanding that specific items be preserved for litigation. Sending a timely spoliation letter establishes the duty to preserve; failing to comply after receipt aggravates the legal consequences for the recipient.
Related terms
- Chain of custody
- The unbroken documentary trail of who held a sealed exhibit, when, and under what seal, from the moment of collection through analysis...
- Joint inspection
- An examination of physical evidence attended by the experts for all parties under an agreed protocol. Joint inspection ensures that each expert...
- Legal hold
- A directive from legal counsel instructing relevant people within an organisation to preserve documents, data, and physical items that may be relevant...
- Photogrammetry
- A technique that uses overlapping photographs to reconstruct three-dimensional geometry from two-dimensional images. In forensic engineering, photogrammetry and Structure-from-Motion (SfM) software allow...
- Spoilation doctrine
- The legal principle that a party who destroys or materially alters evidence relevant to litigation may be penalised. Sanctions range from an...
Explained in
- Evidence Preservation and DocumentationA written notice from one party to another (or to a third party with custody of the evidence) demanding that specific items be preserved for litigation. Sendin...