Medico-legal autopsy by panel of Doctors present scenario.

ABSTRACT

Medico-legal autopsy to ascertain the cause of death or other factors concerning death in unnatural or suspicious cases is in general conducted by one autopsy surgeon. But situations do arise when services of more than one doctor in the form of panel are taken for conducting autopsies. Except administrative orders for panel formation for autopsy in dowry related or custodial deaths, there are no clearly defined guidelines for constitution of the panel of autopsy surgeons in a large number of cases. Keeping in view the scientific, administrative, medical, legal and academic aspects of such autopsies, there is an urgent need to formulate certain guidelines for constituting such panels for disbursement of justice in a better way in public interest and to counter the probability of harassment and exploitation of the autopsy surgeons later on.