Increasingly, high profile criminal and civil legal actions around the world highlight the interactions between medicine and the law. Forensic and legal medicine describes the body of knowledge that encompasses this interaction. The terms generally embrace forensic pathology and clinical forensic medicine. However, the nature of forensic and legal medicine is broad and may extend beyond medical and legal issues, into scientific and technical areas, and include specialist roles such as anthropology, toxicology, odontology and psychiatry. Separate from these issues is the much more widely recognized need to apply moral, ethical and human rights principles in the investigation of certain crimes, whether considering victims or perpetrators. Those involved in the practice of forensic and legal medicine and those in legal, judicial, police and other investigative organizations which require knowledge of aspects of forensic and legal medicine often need to identify appropriate and relevant information. The aim of this Encyclopedia is to provide a reliable starting point for validated information across these fields.

The success of lawsuits and prosecutions is dependent on utilizing the best services available, and knowing when to use them appropriately. All aspects of medicine are now scrutinized, not only by medical, legal and scientific professionals - but also by the lay public. Such scrutiny drives and improves standards - and some of these standards have come about as a result of major cases in criminal and civil courts and other tribunals around the world. The drive for much of this scrutiny derives from the intense review that occurs as a result of events taking place throughout the world in criminal and civil courts. Thus, improved methodology of detecting and documenting evidence, ensuring chains of custody and scientifically testing evidence ensures that appropriate judicial outcomes are achieved.

Teaching of forensic and legal medicine at an undergraduate level is - on a worldwide basis - underemphasized when compared with therapeutic specialities. Paradoxically, barely a day goes by without at least one medical news story being published of legal and forensic relevance and significance. The need for readily accessible knowledge has never been greater.

The Encyclopedia of Forensic & Legal Medicine comprehensively covers forensic and legal medicine (including related specialities and scientific, technical and legal issues) and is available online and in three printed volumes, offering any practitioner in a forensic, medical, healthcare, legal, judicial, or investigative field easily accessible and authoritative overviews on a wide range of topics.

The work is edited and written by experienced professionals with medical, legal or dual training - and who are internationally renowned for their experience or expertise within their areas of specialty. The Editorial Board reflects the multidisciplinary, multi-jurisdictional and global emphasis of forensic and legal medicine.

The individual articles are written in a clear and concise manner and are supplemented by diagrams, tables and full-color images. Key further reading and extensive cross-referencing make this work an invaluable reference source for undergraduates and graduates looking for an introduction to key fields and experts reading outside their specialization.

Online access to the Encyclopedia is available on ScienceDirect. The online version will offer all that the print version does plus smooth linking, eg, to cross-referenced articles, powerful search functions, and more. Visit www.info.sciencedirect.com/reference_works/index.shtml for contact and subscription information. Access options are available even if you're not an existing ScienceDirect customer.

* Brings together all appropriate aspects of forensic medicine and legal medicine

* Contains color figures, sample forms and other materials that the reader can adapt for their own practice

* Also avaiable in an on-line version which provides numerous additional reference and research tools, additional multimedia, & powerful search functions