Forensic pathology is the legal branch of pathology concerned with:

• Determining cause of death (such as a bullet wound to the head, exsanguination, strangulation, etc.) and manner of death (including murder, accident, natural, or suicide).

• Examination of some wounds and injuries due to crime or negligence

• Examination of tissue specimens that may be relevant to rape or other crimes.

• Forensic pathologists work closely with the coroner (England and Wales) or medical examiner (United States). The examination of dead bodies (autopsy or post mortem) is a subset of anatomical pathology.

Forensic pathologists are often also known as forensic medical examiners or police surgeons.

See also

• Forensic science
• Coroner

Pathology | Criminology topics | Law enforcement