Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Objectives Students completing this subject should have a comprehensive understanding, as law students, of forensic medicine, encompassing forensic pathology, clinical forensic medicine, forensic odontology, forensic psychiatry and forensic science. Those areas of these disciplines of particular relevance to the operation of the criminal justice system, and to a lesser degree of the civil justice system in the areas of personal injuries litigation and issues of custody in family law will have been emphasised. Students will be familiar with the organisation and operation of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Pathology, the Victorian Forensic Science Centre and the Coroner's Court. They will be aware of the challenges presented and the tensions which arise when expert evidence is tendered in the adversarial system of justice employed in Victoria and in Australia as a whole. Students will be able to carry out effective research accessing materials in data bases in the biomedical and scientific fields.
Synopsis Medicine and science in the service of the law, including the organisation of the medical profession. Basic anatomy, physiology and biomedical forensic science. Structure and function of the Victorian Forensic Science Centre. Scientific evidence and its collection at the scene of a crime. Forensic chemistry and drug analysis. Forensic photography. Firearm examination and tool marks. Classification and medico-legal interpretation of injuries, and issues of causation in forensic pathology. Forensic odontology and the identification of victims, including major disasters. Traffic medicine; alcohol, drugs and driving. The examination of victims of assault especially sexual assault, both adults and children. DNA: basic structure and DNA profiling in Australia. The admissibility of DNA profiling in the courts. Prototypes of police investigation - homicide. Fingerprint evidence. The State Coroner's system, including inquests and the role of legal representation. Medico-legal reports in the courts, especially the criminal courts. The operation of the Mental Health Act 1986, including the working of the Mental Health Review Board. Forensic psychiatry and issues of criminal responsibility.
Assessment Two 20-minute class tests: 10% each + Written research paper (2500-3500 words): 30% + Final examination (2 hours plus 30 minutes for reading and notes): 50%