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FORENSIC PATHOLOGY (THE CONCEPT) Dr. Ab. Halim Hj. Mansar MD, DFM (Glasgow), MSC (Glasgow), FFLM(London) FORENSIC SCIENCE FSKB(UKM)

Forensic medicine (forensic pathology)

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Page 1: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

FORENSIC PATHOLOGY(THE CONCEPT)

Dr. Ab. Halim Hj. Mansar MD, DFM (Glasgow), MSC (Glasgow),

FFLM(London)FORENSIC SCIENCE

FSKB(UKM)

Page 2: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

MEANING OF FORENSIC PATHOLOGY

Forensic = Forum = Court (of law) Pathology = The study of the

essential nature of disease (includes trauma).

Page 3: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

DEFINITION OF FORENSIC PATHOLOGY Application of the knowledge of

pathology/medicine to aid in the administration of justice (in relation to the courts of law).

N/B: Medical aspect of law. Legal organization seeking help

from expert/s in medical profession.

Page 4: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE

Legal aspects of the practice of medicine.

Medical organization seeking help from expert/s in legal profession.

Page 5: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

BRANCHES IN FORENSIC

Forensic Psychiatry (mental illness) Forensic Serology (blood grouping) Forensic Odontology (dental) Forensic entomology (insect) Forensic Biology (biology) etc.

Page 6: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST

A specialist doctor who has knowledge and special skill in forensic pathology.

Discipline + ist = a specialist in that particular field.

Page 7: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

LEVEL OF EXPERTISE House Officer Medical Officer Registrar Specialist Consultant Senior Consultant N/B: Medical Officer in law is a

doctor from M.O. onward. N/B: Different in academic

post.

Page 8: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

POSGRADUATE DEGREE IN FORENSIC PATHOLOGY

DFM = Diploma in Forensic Medicine DMJ(Path) = Diploma in Medical

Jurisprudence (Pathology) MSc(Forensic Sci) = Master of

Science (Forensic Science) MPath(Forensic) = Master of

Pathology (Forensic) MRCPath (Forensic Path) = Member

of Royal College of Pathologists

Page 9: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

PATHOLOGIST A specialist doctor in any field of

pathology, i.e. Histopathology, Haematology, Chemical Pathology, Microbiology, Cytopathology, Forensic Pathology.

Most Pathologist has undergone all 4 postings.

Pathologist to the public is almost synonymous to a Histopathologist.

Page 10: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

HISTOPATHOLOGIST

Conduct Clinical Autopsy. Objective is to study the extent and

severity of the disease process. Eg. patient died of cancer colon; autopsy to find complications and metastases. The cause is already known.

Require consent from the next of kin.

Other duty is to read histopathology slide.

Page 11: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

ROLE OF FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST

Confirm death has occurred. Estimate time since death. Ensure positive identification. Record and interpret injuries and

natural disease if any. Determine cause of death. Form an opinion on possible

manner of death through recontruction of event.

Page 12: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

CONFIRMATION OF DEATH

No pulse or heartbeat. No respiration. Pupils fixed and dilated. Fragmentation of column of blood

in retinal vessels. Primary flaccidity of the limbs.

Page 13: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

ESTIMATION TIME SINCE DEATH

Body or rectal temperature. Postmortem hypostasis. Rigor mortis. Biochemistry of vitreous humour. Decomposition and entomology. Adiposere formation. Skeletalisation.

Page 14: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION

Characteristic must be unique, attached to the body and comparable with antemorten record.

Usual method : Visual identification.

Major criteria : Fingerprint, Dental data, DNA fingerprinting.

Minor criteria : Clothings, personal affects, anthropometry, medical anomaly, etc.

Page 15: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

INTERPRETATION OF INJURIES

Type of injury : abrasion, contusion, laceration, incised wound, stab wound, gunshot wound, burn, fracture.

Fatal injury : an injury which on its own without medical intervention may cause death.

Page 16: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

INTERPRETATION OF INJURIES

Defence injury : injury sustained by victim while trying to ward off an on coming weapon during an assault.

Injury inflicted by other person : involving painful area and beyond the victim’s reach.

Self-inflicted injury : involving less painful area and within the victim’s reach.Pattern is “regular”.

Page 17: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

INTERPRETATION OF INJURIES

Age of injury : colour changes, scab and scar formation.

Pattern reflect Intent : More than one similar injury = intention to cause harm; Gunshot to temple, roof of mouth, under the chin or over praecordium = suicide; Multiple shallow incisions and single deep incision on the wrist = suicide; etc.

Page 18: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

INTERPRETATION OF INJURIES

Pattern reflect nature of offending weapon : Incised wound caused by sharp weapon; bruise caused by blunt and hard object; bruise and fracture caused by blunt, hard and heavy object;singeing of hair caused by flame; downward burn without singeing of hair caused by corrosive fluid; stab wound caused by sharp and pointed object, etc.

Page 19: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

NATURAL DISEASE If absent : the deceased person did

not die of natural death. If present , deceased person may

die of natural death. Disease may accelerate but not

cause death, eg. Fatal MVA with moderate heart disease.

If no mark of violence and no natural disease, think of poisoning or vagal inhibition.

Page 20: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

CAUSE OF DEATH

Initial event which triggers a train of events leading to a person’s death.

Differentiate this from mode of death.

Meaning of cause of death in section 328 CPC.

Cause of death is an OPINION!

Page 21: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

CAUSE OF DEATH

Can only be given by the examining doctor!

Eg. A Chemist is an analytical expert. He testify on the accuracy and reliability of certain laboratory result, BUT the interpretation of that particular result in relation to the cause of death is in the domain of the EXAMINING DOCTOR!

Page 22: Forensic medicine   (forensic pathology)

MANNER OF DEATH

I s how a person come about to his death.

Natural Accidental / misadventure Suicidal Homicidal