Forensic Medicine in the Next Century: Some Ethical Challenges

Abstract

The authors, after having defined the concepts of ethics, morality, and legality, debate the main ethical problems that forensic medicine will face in the next century. The authors foresee that the technological advancement will present imposing challenges, including those concerning genetic manipulation and the keeping of confidentiality regarding electronic files. On the other hand, old problems will recur, the most important being the vital question of research with prisoners and the use of torture by agents of the state. The authors also discuss the role of the forensic physician in these contexts and conclude that there is a need for international legislative mechanisms that would establish a set of explicit rules of behavior, thus diminishing the possibility of ethical dilemmas.