Main description:

Medical evidence plays a vital part in many criminal prosecutions, most notably when serious injury or physical abuse is part of the prosecution's case. Now in its third edition, this book is an essential text for practitioners of clinical forensic medicine and for those who take them through judicial proceedings, be they prosecutors or defence lawyers. It is written by a team of skilled and experienced authors with practical issues firmly in mind. The book has been revised to take account of changes in both statute and case law that have occurred since publication of the previous edition as well as improvements in medical and scientific understanding. In particular, the approach to uncertainties in child abuse has been brought up to date and a completely new account of blood-borne viral diseases is included.

Contents:

Preface; 1. Legal systems - a world view W. T. M. Ransom; 2. Scottish legal system C. George M. Fernie; 3. The police in the United Kingdom Crispian Strachan; 4. The practitioner's obligations Michael A. Knight, with contributions from Michael Wilks and C. George M. Fernie; 5. The doctor in court Peter J. Franklin; 6. Custody medicine - physical conditions Jeanne Herring; 7. Custody medicine - mental illness and psychological conditions Victoria Evans and Gavin Reid; 8. Substance misuse Margaret M. Stark and Guy A. Norfolk; 9. Alcohol Ian F. Wall; 10. Injury Jack Crane; 11. Child abuse - physical Robert Sunderland; 12. Child abuse - sexual Catherine White and Cathy Cobley; 13. Adult sexual offences Deborah J. Rogers; 14. Management of at-risk exposures and infection control in custody Felicity Nicholson; 15. Scenes of crime Ian Hogg; 16. Forensic science Ian C. Shaw and Julie Mennell; 17. Forensic dentistry Judith A. Hinchliffe; 18. Investigation of death Peter Dean; 19. Dealing with a major disaster Anthony Busuttil; 20. Occupational health of police officers W. D. S. McLay; Index.