In all medicolegal cases involving pathology samples it is essential, as far as possible, that there should be an unbroken chain of evidence accounting for the safe-keeping and treatment of each sample, from the moment of its creation or appropriation, through all tests, to trial.

This newly updated document, written by Dr Peter Cowling, covers the subject in detail, including: samples requiring this procedure, receipt of samples, supervision of sample processing, reporting procedures, archiving of chain-of-evidence samples and related documentation, and the legal status of electronic data and audit trails.