83360 - Forensic Medicine

Learning outcomes

The course of legal medicine aims to provide students of the master's degree in jurisprudence with the basic elements of the medico-legal discipline with the aim of preparing them for the correct interpretation, in the field of civil law, of the answers obtainable from forensic medicine on the subject of assessing damage to the person in its various projections and, in the criminal field, on the subject of attribution of the time, the causes of death, as well as the identification of the means of production (so-called murder weapon), in addition to the so-called biological aggravating circumstances, regarding the crime of personal injury. The course also provides the elements on the subject of causal relationship, consent to health treatments, medical professional liability, imputability.

Course contents

Legal medicine lies at the intersection of biomedical sciences and law. The course guides students in interpreting the medico-legal issues most frequently encountered in legal practice: from the assessment of personal injury to the determination of the cause of death, from consent to medical treatment to healthcare professional liability and criminal responsibility.

The course will be delivered in a blended format. Through the discussion of expert cases, the analysis of judgments and recommendations, the presentation of issues drawn from medico-legal practice, and contributions from specialists in different branches of forensic science, students will acquire the tools needed to understand not only what answers legal medicine can provide, but also how to assess their meaning, reliability, and limitations within legal reasoning.

The following topics will be covered:

Foundations and methods of legal medicine. Scope and fields of application of the discipline; relationship between scientific knowledge and legal decision-making; role of the legal medicine specialist in civil and criminal proceedings; expert evidence, technical consultancy, and interpretation of medico-legal reports; reliability and limitations of scientific evidence.

Causation. The concept of causation in medicine and law; medico-legal criteria for establishing causation; concurrent causes, pre-existing conditions, and supervening factors; counterfactual reasoning; differences between the assessment of causation in civil and criminal law.

Assessment of personal injury in its different contexts. Biological damage in civil liability and INAIL contexts; disability; disability for pension purposes; private insurance policies.

Personal injury, forensic traumatology, and sexual violence. Blunt-force injuries, sharp-force injuries, firearm injuries, forensic asphyxiology, biological aggravating circumstances in the offence of personal injury, and the main medico-legal aspects of sexual offences.

Forensic thanatology and pathology. Determination of death, post-mortem changes, estimation of the time of death, medico-legal scene investigation, and judicial autopsy.

Information and consent to medical treatment. Requirements for valid consent; decision-making capacity; refusal and withdrawal of treatment; decisions concerning minors and persons lacking full decision-making capacity; emergency and urgent situations; advance healthcare directives and shared care planning.

Euthanasia and medically assisted suicide.

Healthcare professional liability. Liability of healthcare professionals and healthcare organisations; negligence, recklessness, and lack of professional competence; guidelines; causation; teamwork in healthcare; medical documentation; role of medico-legal consultancy in professional liability proceedings.

Criminal responsibility and capacity. Capacity to understand and to intend; mental disorder; total and partial lack of criminal responsibility.

The course also includes three seminars delivered by experts in the following fields: Forensic genetics; Forensic toxicology; Medical malpractice

Readings/Bibliography

Cicognani, Fallani, Pelotti, Medicina Legale, Esculapio, latest edition.

AA.VV., Medicina Legale per medici e studenti del corso di studi in medicina e chirurgia, Idelson Gnocchi, latest edition.

Any other up-to-date legal medicine textbook.

Additional materials will be provided by the lecturer during the course.

Teaching methods

The course combines interactive lectures with case-based and practice-oriented learning activities. Theoretical concepts will be introduced through problems drawn from medico-legal and judicial practice.

Teaching activities will include:

• analysis and discussion of civil and criminal cases;
• guided reading of judgments, guidelines, recommendations, and medico-legal reports;
• exercises on the formulation of questions for court-appointed experts and technical consultants;
• critical interpretation of expert opinions and scientific evidence;
• individual and small-group activities;
• seminars delivered by experts in forensic genetics, forensic toxicology, and medical malpractice;
• guided exercises involving the use and critical evaluation of generative artificial intelligence tools.

Part of the course will be delivered in a blended format. These sessions will be devoted mainly to the interactive discussion of expert cases, meetings with forensic science specialists, and virtual visits to forensic laboratories.

The practical activities are an integral part of the course and are designed to help students understand not only what answers legal medicine can provide, but also how to assess their relevance, reliability, and limitations within legal reasoning.

Assessment methods

The examination consists of an individual oral test designed to assess students’ knowledge of the main topics covered in the course and their ability to apply medico-legal concepts to the analysis of practical legal issues.

The examination, which will last approximately 15–20 minutes, includes:

• discussion of a case, document, or activity addressed during the course, chosen by the student as the starting point;
• one question aimed at exploring the connections between the case and the topics covered in the course.

Assessment criteria

Mark range

• 18–19: Limited knowledge and analysis requiring guidance; generally appropriate language.
• 20–24: Partial knowledge; independent analysis of essential aspects; appropriate language.
• 25–29: Broad knowledge; independent critical analysis; good command of subject-specific terminology.
• 30–30 with honours: Comprehensive knowledge; ability to establish connections and engage in critical reflection; precise specialist language and effective argumentation.

Teaching tools

PC, video projector, VIRTUALE, ChatGPT.

Office hours

See the website of Francesca Ingravallo

See the website of Paolo Fais