Development of clinical forensic medicine in India A need of time.

ABSTRACT

Forensic medicine is the medical specialty that is practiced at the interface with the law. It involves the assessment and interpretation in an individual who has become involved either as a suspect or victim in some form of alleged criminal action. In practice however, the role of practitioners of forensic medicine has widened to include civil jurisdictions and matters of medical ethics. Clinical Forensic Medicine is the application of forensic medical techniques to living. To address the un-met forensic needs of victims who are survivors of violent crimes and trauma there is urgent need of examination of victims of violence by a specially trained person in medicolegal matters i.e. clinical forensic physicians. In this program, the clinical forensic physicians will evaluate adult and pediatric victims of blunt and penetrating trauma, sexual and physical abuse and collect evidentiary material when indicated. In this paper the importance of Clinical Forensic Medicine Program and recommendations made by the “Survey Committee Report on Medico-Legal Practices in India, 1964” regarding its implementation are presented.