Unit 6 Lesson 5: Dealing With Death

Question 1

What are the three broad categories of death?

Answer 1

Medical death
Unexplained Medical death
Police reportable death

Question 2

Explain a medical death.

Answer 2

Natural causes. Occur as a result of obvious medical condition within a medical environment. Health care professionals have primary responsibility to provide a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)

Question 3

Explain an unexplained medical death.

Answer 3

Death is sudden and unexplained. Certain circumstances where healthcare professional may report this to COPFS. Not all deaths reported to PF will require police involvement. In the absence of suspicion, a death would be classified as a medical death.

Question 4

Explain a Police reportable death.

Answer 4

Responsibility of Police Scotland to investigate all deaths which fall into the following categories:

• Drug misuse
• accidental deaths - eg. Falls or industrial accidents
• any death of a child or young person which is unexplained
• suicide
• deaths as a result of neglect or fault
• any death where inventory is unknown
• deaths legal custody (includes up to 72 hours following release)
• any death as directed by COPFS
• suspicious death - circumstances are unknown and give cause for concern
• any death outdoor

Question 5

What are the categories of homicide?

Answer 5

Criminal - Murder & Culpable Homicide

Non-Criminal - Casual Homicide & Justifiable Homicide

Question 6

Essential elements of murder?

Answer 6

A person kills another without necessary cause and where there is either:
- an intention to kill, or
- a wilful act so reckless as to show utter disregard for the consequences

Question 7

Essential elements of Culpable Homicide?

Answer 7

A person unlawfully kills another person, where death is caused by improper conduct but the guilt is less than murder.
Three ways:
- intentional killing
- a consequence of unlawful acts
- through undue negligence

Question 8

What is casual homicide?

Answer 8

Non-criminal and covers deaths by ‘misadventure’ when there is no intent to cause injury and occurs whilst performing a lawful act in a proper manner.

Question 9

What is justifiable homicide?

Answer 9

Non-criminal and consists of killing in circumstances where, in the eyes of the law, the taking of life is a right and proper thing to do. Committed where there is either an intention to kill or an intention to seriously injure but where the circumstances free the killer from any blame.

Eg. Self defence or defence of another if there was no other reasonable course or action to prevent serious injury