QUESTION:
Drawing on contemporary law and practice around post-mortems, critically analyse the socio-legal role of the autopsy and make a case for either (a) further reform or (b) the status quo.
– You may wish to consider approaches to this question that include, for example:
– the importance of forensic medical expertise vis-à-vis the autopsy;
– arguments about ‘needless autopsies’;
– cultural concerns;
– next-of-kin vs legal issues;
– the changes to the law;
– criminological issues;
– or how autopsy is developing in distinction to the past via use of technologies