TK-045 (E) Template Title: Chain-of-Custody Not Signed — Missing Signatures & Mandatory Witness Rule
THE HSWAGATA BUDDHA TOOTH RELIC PRESERVATION PRIVATE MUSEUM
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Template No.: TK-045 (E)
Template Title: Chain-of-Custody Not Signed — Missing Signatures & Mandatory Witness Rule
Related Research Case IDs / Cluster: Cluster E (Science, Testing & Misinformation)
Linked Templates / Policies:
TK-031 Relic Custody Chain-of-Custody Log (master log reference)
TK-043 Consent-First Testing Rule (if testing involved)
TK-046 Testing Request & Ethics Checklist
TK-051 Testing MoU & Data Governance Sheet
Institutional Policies for Relic Stewardship (HSWAGATA)
Date of form: ____ / ____ / ______
Prepared by / Role: _______________________
Office / Unit: ____________________________
Country / Location: _______________________
Confidentiality Level:
Internal only [ ] Restricted [ ] Sacred-Restricted / Sensitive [ ]
Use of this form (tick):
New case / action [ ] Follow-up [ ] Annual review [ ] Archive only [ ]
TK-045 — Mandatory Witness Rule (Core Rule)
Rule: Any chain-of-custody step is invalid unless it has:
Two signatures (handler + receiver), and
One witness signature (mandatory), and
Time + date, and
Item ID / seal check recorded.
If any signature is missing: STOP movement, secure the item, and complete this form.
A. Incident Overview
Case title (short): ______________________________________________
Item / Relic ID code: ___________________________________________
Container / Seal ID (if any): _____________________________________
Location where missing signature was found: _______________________
Date found: ____ / ____ / ______ Time: __________
Found by (name/role): __________________________________________
Current status: ☐ Open ☐ Paused ☐ Clarified ☐ Closed
B. What Is Missing? (Tick all that apply)
☐ Handler signature missing (person who carried/handled)
☐ Receiver signature missing (person who received)
☐ Witness signature missing (mandatory)
☐ Date missing
☐ Time missing
☐ Item ID not recorded / wrong
☐ Seal check not recorded
☐ Pages detached / log damaged
☐ Photo evidence missing (if required)
Notes (short):
C. Immediate Safety Actions (Must complete)
Tick what was done now:
☐ Item movement stopped immediately
☐ Item placed in secure location
☐ Seal checked (no break seen)
☐ Seal broken or unclear → escalated to Security/Board
☐ Access limited (named staff only)
☐ Photos taken of current state (item + seal + log page)
Secure location: ________________________________________________
Seal condition: ☐ Intact ☐ Broken ☐ Unclear ☐ Not applicable
D. Last Known Valid Chain Step
(Write the last point where documentation is complete.)
Date/time: ____ / ____ / ______ ________
Location: __________________________________________
Handler (signed): __________________________
Receiver (signed): __________________________
Witness (signed): __________________________
Notes: _____________________________________________
E. Gap Description (What Happened During the Unsigned Period?)
Time window of gap: From //_____ ______ to //_____ ______
Who had access (names if known):
Where was the item kept during the gap?
Was the item moved? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Unclear
Was the seal checked during the gap? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Unclear
Any public/media exposure during the gap? ☐ Yes ☐ No
If yes, describe briefly: ______________________________________
F. Fixing Missing Signatures (Controlled Process)
Important: Missing signatures must never be “filled later” without evidence.
F1. Can the original signers be contacted?
Handler reachable? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Receiver reachable? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Witness reachable? ☐ Yes ☐ No
F2. If reachable
They must complete a late-signature declaration (below) with reason.
F3. If not reachable
☐ Mark chain step as unverified
☐ Create a new chain step starting from current secure location
☐ Escalate to Compliance & Risk for decision
☐ Consider notifying Board if risk is medium/high
G. Late-Signature Declaration (Only if signer is the true person)
Signer name: __________________________ Role: ________________
I confirm that I was the person involved in the custody event described below, and I am signing late because:
☐ I forgot at the time
☐ I was not present when log was available
☐ Emergency / time pressure
☐ Other: ___________________________
Event described (facts only):
Date/time (approx): ______________________________
Place: _________________________________________
What I did (one sentence): ________________________
Seal condition I observed: ☐ Intact ☐ Broken ☐ Unclear ☐ Not checked
Signature: __________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______
Mandatory witness for late-signature:
Witness name: ____________________ Signature: ______________ Date: //______
H. Mandatory Witness Rule (Operational Standard)
For every custody step (movement, opening, closing, handover, storage change):
Minimum required people
1 Handler (does the action)
1 Receiver (accepts responsibility)
1 Witness (must watch the full step)
Witness conditions
Witness cannot be the handler or receiver.
Witness must be trained staff or Board-approved volunteer.
Witness must confirm:
☐ Item ID matches
☐ Seal ID matches and is intact (if applicable)
☐ Time/date recorded
☐ No private unsupervised handling occurred
I. Risk Rating & Escalation
Risk rating after review:
☐ Low (paperwork error only; seal intact; timeline clear)
☐ Medium (gap unclear; limited proof)
☐ High (seal unclear/broken; access uncertain; public claims risk)
Escalate to:
☐ Compliance & Risk
☐ Security
☐ Board Oversight
☐ External authority (only if legally required)
J. Final Outcome
☐ Chain corrected with documented late-signature + witness
☐ Chain marked unverified and restarted from secure point
☐ Incident report filed and preventive training scheduled
☐ Closed with no further action
Final notes (short):
K. Sign-off & Archive
Prepared by: __________________________ Signature: ________________
Reviewed by (Compliance/Security): __________________ Signature: _____
Date: ____ / ____ / ______
Archive code / file location: ______________________________________