Forensic Medical Examination

a medical examination concerning special medical and biological problems that arise in the course of a judicial investigation. A forensic medical examination is performed at the request of bodies of investigation or the court in order to establish certain information pertaining to a case—for example, to identify a person or to determine cause of death, nature of bodily injuries, state of health, age, or degree of intoxication.

In the USSR, a forensic medical examination is performed by a physician who has been specially trained for the purpose and who serves as a forensic medical expert. If such an expert is not available, the examination may be assigned to an ordinary physician. Special institutions known as bureaus of forensic medical examination are located in Moscow, Leningrad, and the administrative centers of oblasts, krais, and autonomous republics; they are also found in the Union republic ministries for public health. In complicated cases, several experts and physicians with different specializations may take part in the examination. The results are presented in the form of a written conclusion. Problems of forensic medical examinations are studied by the special scientific discipline known as forensic medicine.