Assessment of Attitude and Knowledge of Law Students Towards Medico-Legal Autopsies

Background:Autopsies play an important role in aiding the judicial system.ForensicMedicine is the bridge that connects medical knowledge and the law together and Autopsies are the vital part in this link. In order to create better efficiency in the judiciary, strengthening and sharing knowledge is important on both the Forensic Expert’s and the Lawyer’s view. The attitude or perception of autopsies is equally important as much as the knowledge about the same. Aims:The purpose of this study is to assess the knowledge and attitude of law students about and towards medico legal autopsy and to identify the reasons if any and suggest some corrective measures. Material and Methods:A cross sectional prospective study done in a Law College in Mangalore, with a sample size of 140 undergraduate law students using a semi-structured questionnaire distributed online. Results:Response rate was 98.57% with a female to male ratio of 1.8:1; mean age of the participants came to 24.52 years. 40% of participants knewwhatis an autopsy and why autopsies are done. 12% knew about exhumation while 66.7% were aware about the need for a complete autopsy. 44.2% said autopsies are beneficial and 31.9% participants said it does not harm socio-religious norms and were in favor of conducting an autopsy of their kin, if it was necessary. Conclustion:Most participants have a positive outlook towards medico-legal autopsies although further enhancement on knowledge on the same is needed.Key Message:Even a minor knowledge gap is of prime significance as their knowledge and positive perception about medico legal autopsies is crucial towards delivering justice. Thus, a clear understanding of medico-legal autopsies should be inculcated in law students. It can be achieved through workshops, seminars, exhibitions, guest lectures etc.