Clinical Forensic Medicine

In many criminal prosecutions, medical evidence plays a vital part in establishing the guilt or innocence of the accused, most notably when serious injury of physical abuse is part of the prosecution's case. This type of evidence falls within the domain of forensic medicine and knowledge of its various aspects of relevance to any clinician who may be asked to see or give an opinion on any matter pertaining to the law. Clinical Forensic Medicine is a complete reference source for the specialty, identifying all the medical, ethical and statutory principles by which the forensic medical practitioner has to be guided. Topics covered include legal systems as they affect doctors; legal and ethical guidance in the handling of detainees; the presentation of evidence in court; care of children, with particular attention to sexual assault; problems of mental health as they affect prisoners, witnesses and those whom the police are called to assist; drug and alcohol misuse; the drunken driver; accidents on the road and elsewhere; the collection of trace evidence; examination of the scene of the crime; forensic science; procedures for mass disaster; forensic odontology; the occupational health of the police.