30. Medico-legal death investigations Flashcards
What does the coroner’s act give the coroner permission to do?
Legal authority to investigate circumstances and cause of death
Instruct gardaí and pathologists
What is the requirement to become a coroner?
Must have practiced as a doctor or a lawyer for 5+ years
What does a coroner do if they accept a MCCD?
Provide a section 41 certificate for registrar of deaths
What is a medico-legal autopsy?
Allows reconstruction of circumstances of death
What is the purpose of an inquest?
Only to find the cause of death: cannot be used to establish guilt
What is an inquisitional legal system?
A legal ‘contest’ where one side argues against the other
What is the burden of proof in criminal court?
Beyond reasonable doubt
What is the burden of proof in civil court?
On balance of probability
What are the hierarchy of courts in criminal law?
District and magistrate courts
High court
Special criminal courts
Court of appeal
What 3 positions might a doctor hold in court?
Ordinary witness
Professional witness
Expert witness
What is the difference between a professional and expert witness?
Professional gives results and conclusions of the investigations they made
Expert interprets facts
