IMPORTANT MEDICAL LEGAL

TERMS AND THEIR

DEFINITIONS – lecture 2
FORENSIC:
Derived from Latin meaning "of
the forum" or market place. In
ancient Rome the forum was
where governmental debates
and trials were held.
FORENSIC SCIENCE:
Means the application of natural
and physical science to the
resolution of the matter with a
legal context.
JUDGE:
A person who is officially
designed or empowered by law
to give, in any legal proceeding
civil or criminal, a definitive
judgment
DOCUMENT
A written or printed instrument
that bears the legal form of
something and can be used to
furnish evidence or conveys
information.
OFFENCE, CRIMES
The doing that a penal law
forbids to be done or omitting
to do what it commands; in this
sense it is nearly synonymous
with crime.
INJURY
A harm or hurt; a wound or
insult; usually applied to
damage inflicted on the body by
an external force.
ASSAULT
An unlawful act that places
another person, without that
person's consent, in fear of
immediate bodily harm or
battery.
GOOD FAITH
Compliance with standards of
decency and honesty or having
honest intentions; "he acted in
good faith";
COMPLAINT
The complaint outlines the alleged
facts of the case and the basis for
which a legal remedy is sought.
A complaint is the preliminary
charge filed by the complaining
party, usually with the police or a
court.
INQUIRY
The act of inquiring or
examination of a matter in a
search for information or truth.
INVESTIGATION
A careful search or detailed
inquiry or systematic
examination in order to discover
facts.
BAIL
An individual accused of a crime
must be held in the custody of the
court until his or her guilt or
innocence is determined.
However, the court has the option
of releasing the individual before
that determination is made, and
this option is called bail
DEPOSITION
Law Testimony under oath,
especially a statement by a
witness that is written down or
recorded for use in court at a
later date
AFFIDAVIT
A written statement
affirmed/sworn to be true
CIRCUMSTANTIAL
EVIDENCE
Evidence from which a logical
and reasonable inference of
another fact may be drawn
Expert Witness:
A person whose training,
background, or experience
qualifies them to render an
opinion at a trial rather than
stating facts. A person who has
more knowledge on a subject
than the average person
AUTOPSY
Autopsy: Medical examination
of a deceased body. It is also
called Postmortem Examination
Forensic Autopsy:
Examination of a deceased
person to determine cause of
death.
CROSS EXAMINATION
The questioning of an opposing
party's witness about matters
brought up during direct
examination
EXPERT WITNESS
A witness with a specialized
knowledge of a subject who is
allowed to discuss an event in
court even though he or she
was not present.
ACCUSED
Accused: The person who has
been charged with committing the
offence, another term for the
defendant in a criminal case.
Defendant: A person charged with
a crime and against whom court
proceedings are brought (see
Accused above).
ALLEGATION
Any statement of fact in a
pleading before a court, that
the defendant committed the
alleged crime
ARREST WARRANT
Written document issued by a
judge or a magistrate
authorizing the police to arrest
a specified person.
CRIMINAL LAW
Statutes and other laws that
defines conduct which is prohibited
by the government because it is
held to threaten, harm or otherwise
endanger the safety and welfare of
the public, and that sets out the
punishment to be imposed on
those who breach these laws.
PRESIDING JUDGE
In jurisdictions with several judges, one
of them is usually chosen to direct the
management of the courts.
The presiding judge usually chairs the
panel of several judges hearings and
supervises the business of the court
PRIMA FACIE CASE
Latin term, meaning "on the
face of it", that is used in a
legal context to define whether
there is enough evidence to
warrant a case continuing to
trial in the judicial process.
PRESUMPTION OF
INNOCENCE
A legal concept that means that
an accused is presumed
innocent until he is proven
guilty beyond reasonable doubt,
at the end of a trial and appeal.
RULES OF PROCEDURE &
EVIDENCE

The rules which govern the

procedures and the introduction
and admissibility of evidence in
legal proceedings.
BURDEN OF PROOF
The obligation to prove
something.
SENTENCE
The punishment imposed by a
court on a person convicted of
a crime
STANDARD OF PROOF
The legal standard of proof
indicating the degree to which
the point must be proven. For
instance, the standard of proof
at the end of a criminal trial is
“beyond reasonable doubt.”
OATH
A promise to do something or
formal declaration, which
involves an appeal to God.
MENS-REA
The mental component of
criminal liability.
MURDER
Intentionally and maliciously
killing of human being by
someone.
AFFIDAVIT
Affidavit: A written statement
affirmed/sworn to be true
Arrest: To deprive a person of
liberty or freedom of
movement.
SUSPECT
Someone who is under
suspicion of having committed a
crime.
WITNESS TESTIMONY

This is written or oral evidence

given by a witness under oath
at trial or in a deposition. A
witness is a person who testifies
under oath.
TRIAL
A legal proceeding before a
court to examine and assess
the evidence against a person
accused of a crime