Meaning & use
the chain of custody
Last updated
Meaning
nounsingularlegallaw
the official record of who has handled a piece of evidence and where it has been kept, used to prove it has not been changed.
Grammar: Usually used with 'the'; no plural in this sense.
Patterns
- the chain of custody of something
- establish the chain of custody
- break the chain of custody
The defense argued that the chain of custody for the gun was incomplete.
Police must document the chain of custody for every item collected at the scene.
If the chain of custody is broken, the evidence may be thrown out.
Common combinations
- chain of custody document
- The chain of custody document showed the sample was sealed at all times.
- maintain the chain of custody
- Officers must maintain the chain of custody from collection to trial.
- break the chain of custody
- Leaving the bag open broke the chain of custody.
- chain of custody form
- Fill out the chain of custody form before sending the sample to the lab.
Synonyms and how they differ
- evidence trail
- A less formal way to describe the record of evidence; 'chain of custody' is the precise legal term.
Commonly confused: the chain of custody or chain of command?
the chain of custody vs chain of command
Chain of command is the line of authority in an organization; chain of custody is about handling evidence.
Practice
In a trial, why is the chain of custody important?
Choose one answer.
The chain of custody tracks who handled the evidence to show it is unchanged. The other options describe different legal concepts.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “the chain of custody”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.