| Popis: |
The terms forensic medicine and forensic pathology imply an interface between medical practice and the application of the law. The training of the medical man impels him to seek the truth as to diagnosis and prognosis; the function of the lawyer, however, whether it be in the civil or the criminal courts, is to convince a tribunal that his argument, or interpretation of the facts, is to be preferred to that of his or her adversary. The doctor who is untrained in the law is often ill-prepared for this conflict of motives and may find himself both aggrieved and confused in the witness-box. The clinical and pathological aspects of forensic paediatrics are discussed in the second part of this book; the state of the law is considered in the third. The purpose of this introductory chapter is to indicate some of the difficulties which arise at this interface and to suggest how they may be overcome to the benefit of both disciplines. |
