EDRM meaning

EDRM (electronic discovery reference model) describes the end‑to‑end stages for handling electronically stored information (ESI) in disclosure/discovery for litigation, arbitration, investigations and regulatory requests. It is not defined in legislation or case law; it is a descriptive, industry‑standard framework used to design and evidence defensible e‑disclosure workflows. The model sets out a lifecycle: information governance, identification, preservation, collection, processing, review, analysis, production and presentation. In practice it guides scoping of data sources, issuing legal holds, search and de‑duplication, technology‑assisted review (TAR), privilege and confidentiality screening, and agreeing production formats. England and Wales: EDRM aligns with disclosure duties under the CPR, including PD 57AD (Disclosure) and PD 31B (Electronic Documents), and informs the Disclosure Review Document and related discussions on sources, custodians, searches and formats. Scotland: although terminology differs (e.g. recovery, commission and diligence), EDRM principles are used to plan proportionate collection, review and production of ESI. Northern Ireland and Ireland: practitioners apply EDRM to manage proportionate discovery of ESI under their court rules. Across the UK and Ireland, usage is broadly consistent. Its practical value lies in proportionality, cost control and auditability, helping parties demonstrate reasonable steps to preserve, search, review and produce electronic documents.