“The aim of science, traditionally put, is to search out the ways in which truth may become known. Law aims at the just resolution of human conflict. Truth and justice, we might venture to say, having different aims, use different methods to achieve them. Unfortunately, this convenient account of law and science is itself neither true nor just. For law must know what the truth is within the context of the legal situation: and science finds itself ever engaged in resolving the conflicting claims of theorists putting forward their own competing brands of truth (Cowan 5).”

Forensic science is any science used for the purposes of the law, and therefore provides impartial scientific evidence for use in the courts of law, eg in a criminal investigation and trial.

In a typical criminal investigation crime-scene investigators, sometimes known as scene-of-crime officers, will gather material evidence from the crime scene, victim and/or suspect. Forensic scientists will examine these materials to provide scientific evidence to assist in the investigation and court proceedings, and thus work closely with the police.

Senior forensic scientists, who usually specialise in one or more of the key forensic disciplines, may be required to attend crime scenes or give evidence in court as impartial expert witnesses. Not long ago, proof of criminal charges depended mainly on eyewitnesses and other subjective means.

With scientific advances, objective evidence has taken on a greater role in criminal trials. Forensic science is used to enforce laws and government regulations and statutes, to resolve disputes, to assess blame and establish responsibility, and to enhance public safety.

Throughout history, evidence has been used to convict criminals of the crimes that they have committed. Today’s society has improved upon the methods of the past to bring about more precise and accurate techniques.

A vital section of forensic science is forensic pathology which is concerned with analyzing medicalevidence in crimes. This is done by the examination of the body at autopsy, of tissues removed during surgery, and by analysis of fluids from the body,

The forensic pathologist’s involvement and investigation includes visiting the scene of death. Gathering information about what happened at the time and place of the subject’s death, what he or she was doing, and the health of the subject is of vital importance. The forensic examination of the body involves examining the clothing on the body, the body itself, and the internal examination of the organs in the body, which is the autopsy.

The forensic pathologist and the autopsy are vital parts of proper medicolegal death investigation.This work may lead to the conviction of an assailant, or it may protect an innocent person. The work of the forensic pathologist reaches out to the family of the person who died, to that person’s physician, to law enforcement officers, to attorneys who are settling the estate or who are prosecuting or defending a criminal or civil suit, and to the public health workers. The forensic pathologist’s work will touch those who are left to deal with the loss and trauma caused by a death in a very personal way.

With the growing rate of unexplained incidents, which include numerous deaths, our ‘rainbow’ society as well depends largely on forensic pathology to maintain its sense of justice...