Medicolegal Death Investigations and the Autopsy

Investigations into medicolegal deaths are currently conducted under established national and local laws and practices. However, there is a recognized need to develop international standards to ensure that investigations into medicolegal deaths are conducted under the best possible conditions. Central to death investigation is not only the performance of an autopsy but also the impact of this work on families. Death investigation systems have been criticized for not addressing the needs of families. This deficit has been examined in this chapter in two sections: Understanding the Experience of Loss and Humanitarian Forensic Action.