The medico-legal death investigation system in Nepal

Abstract

In Nepal, police inquests have several limitations. When they receive information about a death, the police visit the crime scene and write an inquest report. Then, they arrange for the body to be autopsied. However, most autopsies are performed by medical officers in government hospitals who lack specialised training in conducting autopsies. Although all Nepalese medical schools teach forensic medicine to undergraduate students and require them to witness some autopsies, most private institutions are not authorised to perform them. Autopsies performed without expertise can be subpar and, even when trained personnel are available, these facilities are inadequately equipped. In addition, there is a lack of sufficient manpower to provide expert medico-legal services. The Honourable Judges and District Attorneys of all district courts believe that the medico-legal reports prepared by the doctors are inappropriate, incomplete and inadequate for use as evidence in court. Moreover, the police are more concerned with establishing criminality than other aspects of medico-legal death investigation, such as autopsies. Therefore, the quality of medico-legal investigations, including death investigations, will not improve until government stakeholders recognise the importance of forensic medicine in the judiciary and for the resolution of crimes.