Elements of forensic medicine 506
Professor P L Waller
6 points
* One 3-hour session per week
* First Semester
*
Clayton
* Prerequisite: LAW3300; preferably students should have completed
LAW5204 but will be admitted if currently enrolled for this subject.
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 Medicine, 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 as well as in law.
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. 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%
Texts
Phillips J H and Bowen J K Forensic science and the expert witness rev. edn, Law Book, 1989
| Published by Monash University, Clayton, Victoria
3168 Copyright © Monash University 1996 - All Rights Reserved - Caution Authorised by the Academic Registrar December 1996 |