# Adjudication Doctrine > [!summary] > Adjudication is the senior-review doctrine and metadata layer that helps ambiguous or high-value Eval Labs cases become usable canonical signal. --- ## Definition Adjudication is the process of making a final call when a response needs deeper interpretation. In the current Eval Labs app, adjudication is supported through schema, routing state, metadata, and exports. It should not be described as a shipped dedicated senior-adjudication editing screen unless that UI path is confirmed in source. It answers: ```text What did this case really mean? What should Lucia learn from it? What label should become canonical? Should this become a canon candidate? ``` --- ## What adjudication is not Adjudication is not casual reviewing. It is not employee preference. It is not a place to rewrite every response. It is not a dumping ground for vague notes. --- ## When a case needs adjudication A case should move toward adjudication when: - employee marks senior review - reviewer flags risk or confusion - Lucia may have overclaimed - intent is ambiguous - the response could teach Lucia something reusable - two reviewers disagree materially - the case touches trust, safety, money, maintenance, guest distress, or owner overwhelm - the case is a canon candidate In the app workflow, these cases are represented through review state, canon-candidate state, and exported adjudication metadata. --- ## Final label fields Adjudication metadata may preserve final structured labels such as: ```text guestIntent followThroughRequired actionType emotionalRead ownerStressLevel ``` These fields are not employee-facing taxonomy homework. They belong to the senior interpretation layer. --- ## Adjudication metadata Supported adjudication metadata fields are: ```text finalLabels reason adjudicator adjudicatedAt ``` The reason should be short, specific, and useful for future training. Good: ```text The operator was disoriented, not asking for a dashboard summary. Lucia should orient first, then give one next move. ``` Bad: ```text Bad vibes. ``` --- ## Canon candidates A canon candidate is a case that may teach Lucia something durable. Examples: - excellent containment pattern - repeated failure pattern - high-trust wording lesson - new intent family - reusable escalation rule - important edge-case boundary Canon candidates should be reviewed by a senior reviewer before they become doctrine. --- ## Adjudication rule > [!warning] > The adjudicator owns canonical meaning. The employee reviewer owns observed reaction. Do not collapse those roles.