Science of Criminalistics

Forensic Medicine
Mr. Julius Y Edrea
Ms. Dranse Lee Ann C Espinosa
“If the law has made you a witness, remain a
man of science. You have no victim to avenge,
no guilty or innocent person to convict or save –
you must bear testimony within the limits of
science”

Dr. P.C. H. Brouardel,

French Medico-Legalist
 Definition of Terms
 Forensic – derived from the Latin word forensis meaning forum or court
law.
 Forensic Medicine – is the branch of medicine that deals with the
application of medical knowledge to the purpose of law and in the
administration of justice. It is the application of the basic clinical, medical
and paramedical sciences to elucidate forensic matters.
 Medical Jurisprudence – knowledge of law in relation to the practice of
medicine.

Rules of Court (Sec. 5, Rule 138)-Medical Jurisprudence is one of the subjects

in the law course before admission to the bar examination
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 HISTORY OF LEGAL MEDICINE
 Paulus Zacchias ( 1584 – 1659 ) is the ‘ Father of
Forensic Medicine”. He was the first to describe the
importance and application of medicine to the proper
administration of justice.

 In the Philippines, the father of Legal Medicine can be

rightfully bestowed to. His book on Legal Medicine
copyrighted in 1987, contains the most extensive treatise
and teachings in Philippine Legal Medicine

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 Scope of Forensic Medicine
 The Scope of forensic medicine is quite broad and
encompassing. It is the application of medical and
paramedical sciences as demanded by law and
administration of justice.
• Encompasses a variety of fields in forensic science
such as pathology, anthropology, odontology,
toxicology, entomology, psychiatry and others.
• Deals with the activities or acts punishable under the
law.

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 CLINICAL FORENSIC MEDICINE
 It includes lifting of trace evidences from the blood, nails, hairs,
clothing, semen, a vaginal swab, tissue culture, gastric levage
 It also include how to document this evidence for the court, face a
lawyer’s cross-examination, understand court proceedings and
interpret various sections and sub-sections of Criminal Procedure.
 Examples are
1. Wounds
2. Drunkenness
3. Sexual offenses
4. Age determination

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 WHAT IS A MEDICOLEGAL CASE ?

“It is a case of injury or ailment, where an

attending doctor after taking history and
clinical examination of the patient/s, thinks
that some investigations by law enforcing
agencies are essential, so as to fix the
responsibility regarding the case in
accordance with the law of the land”. 

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 FOLLOWING ARE MEDICOLEGAL CASES

 ACCIDENTS AND UNNATURAL MISHAP

 SUSPECTED OR EVIDENT HOMICIDES INCLUDING

ATTEMPTED.
 SUSPECTED OR EVIDENT POISONING.

 BURN INJURY DUE TO ANY CAUSE.

 ANY INJURY WHERE FOUL PLAY IS SUSPECTED OR

DOCTOR THINKS THAT THE PATIENT IS VICTIM OR
ACCUSED IN A CRIME CASE.

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 
INJURY CASES, WHERE THERE IS LIKELIHOOD OF
DEATH IN NEAR FUTURE.

SUSPECTED OR EVIDENT SEXUAL OFFENSES.

SUSPECTED OR EVIDENT CRIMINAL ABORTION.

UNCONSCIOUS CASES WHERE CAUSE OF
UNCONSCIOUSNES IS NOT CLEAR.

CASES BROUGHT DEAD WITH IMPROPER HISTORY.

CASES REFERRED BY COURT OR OTHERWISE WHICH
REQUIRE AN AGE CERTIFICATE / ANY OTHER
CERTIFICATE.
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 1. Physical injuries caused by:
a. Gunshot wound, stab wound etc.
b. Vehicular accident.
c. Asphyxia
d. Electrocution, chemical or thermal insult
e. Accident, attempted homicide or suicide
f. Poisoning

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 DEATH- The complete and persistent stopping or cessation of all vital functions of the
body (heart, termination of life)
- Irreversible condition followed by decay
Kind of Death
1. Somatic or Clinical
- There is complete and persistent and continuous cessation of the vital functions of
the brain, heart and lungs which maintain life and health.
2. Cellular or Molecular
-Death of individual cells after three to six hour
3. Apparent Death or State of Suspended Animation
-Temporary loss of consciousness OR temporary cessation of the vital functions of
the body on amount of disease, external stimulus or other forms of influence
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 Medico-Legal Classification of Cause of Death
Natural Death- Caused by a natural disease or condition in the body
Violent death- due to injuries inflicted in the body by some form of outside
force
 Accidental
 Negligent
 Suicidal
 Infanticidal
 Parricidal
 Murder
 Homicidal
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 Medical Evidence

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 Medical Evidence
• Legal Definition
Is the testimony that provided by a medical
professional, such as a doctor or physician.

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 TYPES OF MEDICAL EVIDENCE
1. Autoptic or real evidence
2. Testimonial evidence
3. Experimental evidence
4. Documentary evidence
5. Physical evidence
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 1. Real or Autoptic Evidence
- Is the evidence that addressed by the
senses of the court.

Limitations :
• Indecency and impropriety
• The Repulsive Object to those offensive to sensibilities

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 2. Testimonial Evidence
- Is a person’s testimony offered to prove the truth of the
matter asserted, especially evidence elicited from a
witness. This is also termed as communicative
evidence.

2 Types of Witness
1. Ordinary Witness
2. Expert Witness

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 3. Experimental Evidence
- A medical witness may be allowed by the court to
confirm his allegation or as corroborated proof opinion
he has stated.

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 4. Documentary Evidence
- Is any documents consist of writing or any material
containing letters, words, numbers, figures, symbols or
other modes of written expression offered as proof of their
contents.

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5. Physical Evidence- can include just about
anything such as weapons, fingerprints, shoe
prints, tire marks, tool impression, hair fiber, or
even a body fluids.
a. Corpus Delicti evidence
b. Associative evidence
c. Tracing Evidence
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3 Types of Physical Evidence
a. Corpus Delicti evidence
b. Associative evidence
c. Tracing Evidence

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 a. Corpus Delicti evidence
- Refers to the body of the crime it also
showing the facts of crime or the case.

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 b. Associative evidence
- Associative evidence these are the
type of physical evidence which link the person
to the crime.

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 c. Tracing evidence
- These are the evidence that is helping
or assist the Investigator to trace or locate the
Suspect.

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 IMPORTANCE OF FORENSIC MEDICINE
FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCIES

 Since crime investigation depends

greatly on the forensic medicine
therefore a basic knowledge of
forensic medicine is very essential for
the investigating officers .

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 PERSONAL IDENTITY
 Required in
1. In cases of fire , explosion , travel
accidents and other mishaps.
2. When an unknown body is found
3. In cases of decomposed bodies, mutilated
bodies or skeleton remains.

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 References
• Power point of DR. AMIT TYAGI in Forensic Medicine
• Notes in FORENSIC MEDICINE with Pathology &
• Entomology By: OSCAR GATCHALIAN SORIANO
BSCrim., MSBA, MA Crim., PhDCrim.
• Dr. PEDRO P SOLIS M.D. LIB
• Forensic Medicine
• FORENSIC MEDICINE by: Floramante R. Garcia Jr.
•
https://www.scribd.com/document/423767343/Forensic-Medicine-Rev
iew-Document#fullscreen&from_embed
• LEGAL MEDICINE (2011)Antonio Rebosa, Ll.B, M.D
• https://www.scribd.com/document/370096132/Legal-Medicine-pdf#ful
lscreen&from_embed
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