Electronic Disclosure Explained A Practical Guide For UK Lawyers

ELECTRONICDISCLOSURE · AGUIDEFORUKLAWYERS Electronic Disclosure Explained A Practical Guide for UK Lawyers COMPUTERFORENSICSLAB DISCOVERY . U K § ABOUTTHEAUTHOR PRE PA REDBYCOMPUTERFORENSICSLABE - DISCOVERYTEAM FULL CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY DOCUMENTATION § CONTENTS In this guide 01 Executive summary 02 What exactly is electronic disclosure? The problem in plain English 03 How eDisclosure differs from simply exchanging documents 04 eDisclosure and its neighbours: forensics, review and information governance 05 Why it matters legally: duties, rules and sanctions 06 The legal framework: England & Wales, and where the rules differ 07 Important terminology 08 The complete lifecycle: identification to disposal 09 Practical workflow and decision tree 10 Preservation: legal holds done properly 11 Collection methodology and evidential integrity 12 Metadata: the evidence about the evidence 13 Privilege and confidentiality 14 UK GDPR, data minimisation and the Data (Use and Access) Act 15 Proportionality 16 Realistic litigation examples 17 Common mistakes and technical limitations 18 Questions to ask: client, opponent, provider 19 Suggested wording for instructions 20 Checklist and red flags 21 When to involve a digital forensic expert 22 Frequently asked questions 23 Glossary · References · Disclaimer · How a specialist laboratory can assist § 0 1 · ORIENTATION Executive summary SEVENPOINTSTOHOLDONTO 31 and PD 31B govern most other civil claims. Know which applies before the first case management THEONE - SENTENCEVERSION § 0 2 · FIRSTPRINCIPLES What exactly is electronic disclosure? The problem in plain English IDENTIFICATION PRESERVATION COLLECTION PROCESSING REVIEW & PRODUCTION PRESENTATION DISPOSAL ANALYSIS § 0 3 · THECOREDISTINCTION How eDisclosure differs from simply exchanging documents FORTHEPRACTITIONER DIMENSION "SIMPLY EXCHANGING DOCUMENTS" EDISCLOSURE DONE PROPERLY § 0 4 · THEMAPOFTHETERRITORY eDisclosure and its neighbours eDisclosure vs ordinary document disclosure eDisclosure vs digital forensics eDisclosure vs document review eDisclosure vs information governance DISCIPLINE CORE QUESTION T YPICAL OUTPUT GOVERNING FRAMEWORK § 0 5 · CONSEQUENCES Why it matters legally: duties, rules and sanctions The duties The sanctions FAILURE REALISTIC CONSEQUENCES § 0 6 · THERULES The legal framework: England & Wales, and where the rules differ Civil claims in the Business and Property Courts: PD 57AD CURRENTSTATUS · Civil claims outside the B&PCs: CPR Part 31 and PD 31B Criminal proceedings Where the rules differ FORUM KEY DIFFERENCES FROM E&W CIVIL DISCLOSURE § 0 7 · VOCABULARY Important terminology TERM WHAT IT MEANS IN PRACTICE § 0 8 · THELIFECYCLE The complete lifecycle: identification to disposal Stage 1 · Identification Stage 2 · Preservation Stage 3 · Collection Stage 4 · Processing Stage 5 · Review and analysis Stage 6 · Production Stage 7 · Presentation Stage 8 · Disposal § 0 9 · INPRACTICE Practical workflow and decision tree The first fourteen days of a new dispute Decision tree: scoping the exercise QUESTION1 YESNO , INVESTIG AT IONON LY QUESTION2 B & PCCIVILCLAIMOTHERCIVILCLAIMCRIMINAL / REGUL AT ORY / CMC. ARBITRAL QUESTION3 WHEN ACTION YESNO QUESTION4 SMALL ( < ~ 20KDOCUMENTS ) LARGE QUESTION5 § 1 0 · FREEZINGTHERECORD Preservation: legal holds done properly W H AT ADEFENSIBLEHOLDLOOKSLIKE § 1 1 · DEFENSIBLECAPTURE Collection methodology and evidential integrity Choosing the method Chain of custody INTEGRITYINONEPARAGRAPH METHOD APPROPRIATE FOR WATCH-POINTS § 1 2 · BENEATHTHESURFACE Metadata: the evidence about the evidence T YPE EXAMPLES LITIGATION USE § 1 3 · PROTECTEDMATERIAL Privilege and confidentiality § 1 4 · UK GDPR, data minimisation and the Data (Use and Access) Act § 1 5 · Proportionality § 1 6 · INTHEWILD Realistic litigation examples EXAMPLE1 · THESHAREHOLDERDISPUTEANDTHEWHATSAPPTHREAD EXAMPLE2 · THEBACKDATEDCONSULTANCYAGREEMENT EXAMPLE3 · THELEAVERANDTHECLIENTLIST § 1 7 · WHEREITGOESWRONG Common mistakes and technical limitations Common mistakes Technical limitations to understand (and explain to clients) § 1 8 · INTERROGATORIES Questions to ask Ask your client Ask your opponent (in DRD/EDQ exchanges or correspondence) Ask a forensic / eDisclosure provider § 1 9 · DRAFTINGAIDS Suggested wording for instructions LEGALHOLDNOTICE ( COREOPER AT IVE PA R AG RAPHS ) INSTRUCTIONTOANEDISCLOSURE / FORENSICPR OV IDER PROPOSALTOTHEOPPONENTONPRODUCTIONFORM AT ( FORTHEDRD / EDQ ) § 2 0 · QUICKCONTROL Checklist and red flags The eDisclosure checklist Red flags § 2 1 · ESCALATION When to involve a digital forensic expert § 2 2 · COMMONQUESTIONS Frequently asked questions What is eDisclosure, and how is it different from simply exchanging documents? Do we need an eDisclosure exercise in a small case? Can we just print the WhatsApps / take screenshots? Is technology-assisted review accepted by the courts? Who pays for all this? What happens to the data when the case ends? § 2 3 · REFERENCE Glossary DRD EDQ EDRM ESI EXIF TAR Authoritative UK references DISCLAIMER § HOWASPECIALISTLABORATORYCANASSIST Working with Computer Forensics Lab Speak to a forensic examiner, not a salesperson. INSTRUCTTHELAB NEWENQUIRIESEMAILE - DISCOVERY