Legal Definitions - spoliation

Definition: Spoliation refers to the intentionaldestruction, alteration, mutilation, or concealment of evidence, usually a document. If proven, spoliation can be used to establish that the evidence was unfavorable to the party responsible. It can also refer to the seizure of personal or real property by violent means, the act of pillaging, or the taking of a benefit that rightfully belongs to someone else. In Ecclesiastical law, spoliation refers to the wrongful deprivation of a cleric of his benefice.

• A company is being sued for a defective product. The company intentionally destroys documents that could prove their liability. This is an example of spoliation of evidence.
• During a war, soldiers loot and pillage a village, taking personal property that does not belong to them. This is an example of spoliation of property.
• A person fraudulently takes money from their elderly relative's bank account. This is an example of spoliation of a benefit that rightfully belongs to someone else.

These examples illustrate how spoliation involves intentionally taking or destroying something that belongs to someone else, whether it be evidence, property, or a benefit. It is a wrongful act that can have legal consequences.