MEDICAL JURIST- (Medico-legal Expert) is a physician who specializes in the scie nce of legal medicine.

He must possess sufficient knowledge pathology, surgery, toxicology, and other branches of medicine in theapplication to law and justice. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ORDINARY PHYSICIAN AND A MEDICAL JURIST ROE L F. BALUG O 1. An ordinary physician sees an injury or disease on the point of view of treatmen t, while a medical jurist seesinjury or disease as regard to cause.2. The purpose of an ordinary physicians examination of a patens is to institute re medy or treatment, while thepurpose of a medical jurist in examining the patient is for law and to give justice tone where justice is due.3. Minor bodily lesions may be significant to an ordinary physician to warrant atte ntion for they maynecessitate treatment without producing any untoward effect, b ut to a medical jurist physical injury of whatever nature, size and location mus t be appreciated and described.OTHER DIFINITIONS1. Law ? is a rule of conduct just obligatory laid by legitimate power for the comm on observance and benefit? It is a science of moral law founded on the rational nature of man which regulates free activity for therealization of his individual and social ends under the aspect of mutual demandable independence.2. Medicine ? is a science and art dealing with prevention, cure and alleviation of disease? It is that part of science and art or restoring and preserving health. 3. Legal ?is that which or pertains to law, arising out of by virtue of or included in law. It also refers to anythingconformable to the letters or rules of law as it is administered by the court.4. Jurisprudence ? it is a practical science which investigates the nature, origin, development and function of law. It is a science of giving a wise interpretatio n of the law and making just application of them to allcases as they arise.PRINC IPLE OF STARE DECISIS RO L E F. BALUG O A principle that, when the court has once laid down a principle of law as applie d to a certain state of facts, it will adhere to that principle, and apply it to all future cases where the facts substantially the same.SOME PRINCIPLE GOVERNNG APPLICATION AND EFFECT OF LAWS1. Ignorance of the law excuses no one from compliance therewith.2. Law shall have no retroactive effect, unless the contrary is provided.3. Rights, may be waive unless the waiver is contrary to law, public order, public policy, morals, good customs,or prejudicial to a third person with a right recog nized by law.4. Customs which are contrary to law, public order or public policy shall not e cou ntenanced.BRANCHES OF LAW WHERE LEGAL MEDICINE IS PRINCIPALLY APPLIED1.

Civil law ? is a mass precept that determines or regulates the relations of assi stance, authority and obediencebetween members of a family, and those that exist between members of a society for the protection of privateinterest.2. Criminal law ? is that branch or division of law which defines crime, treats of their nature, and provides fortheir punishment.3. Remedial law - is that branch of law which deals with the rules concerning plead ings, practice and procedurein all courts of the Philippines.4. Special lawsMEDICO ?LEGAL OFFICERa. Qualifications of a medico-legal officerb. How medico-legal officer gets his officec. Duties of the medico-legal officer