Clinical Forensic Medicine: History and Development

Abstract

The term “forensic medicine” is now used to embrace all aspects of forensic work of a medical nature. In the past, the term was often used interchangeably with “forensic pathology” – the branch of medicine which investigates death. Nowadays the phrase “clinical forensic medicine” is properly applied to that part of medical practice whose scope involves interaction between the law, the judiciary, and the police involving (generally) living persons. Clinical forensic medicine is a term that has become widely used only in the last three decades or so, although the phrase has been used at least since 1951 in the UK, when the National Association of Police Surgeons (which became the Association of Forensic Physicians in 2003 till its demise in 2006) was first established. The absence of a clear medical specialty of clinical forensic medicine has resulted in practitioners of clinical forensic medicine being given many different descriptive names over the years. The term “forensic physician” (FP) is now widely accepted. Police surgeon, divisional surgeon, forensic medical officer (FMO) and forensic medical examiner (FME) are examples of other names or titles that have been used to describe those who practice in the specialty of clinical forensic medicine, but names such as these refer more to the appointed role than to the work done. Worldwide, there are many who are involved in both clinical and pathological aspects of forensic medicine.