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台灣的法醫制度之回顧現況與未來之展望
Death Investigation System in Taiwan-An Overview and Prospect
摘要
法醫學是研究法律上有關於醫學及自然科學的一門學問，法醫學實又為公共衛生學中重要之一環，法醫工作者更為維護社會公義、法律正義及保障人民權益的基層尖兵。法醫的工作範圍包羅萬象，舉凡有關法律及社會之爭議而需醫學鑑定予以認定者均屬法醫工作項目。法醫科學之鑑定工作以法醫病理解剖為主體，並涵括活體、屍體檢查、證物檢查及毒物化學分析，目的在於分析其死亡方式及死亡原因如自然病死、意外、自殺、他殺之死亡方式，並探討直接、間接之死亡機轉，提供檢警及司法人員犯罪證據以為偵辦及量刑之參考。台灣的法醫制度已粗具規模唯基本資料庫、人才培訓、法醫制度的相關法律，尚待充實。而近年來因應社會環境的變遷及對法醫實務之需要，法務部乃於1990年10月22日成立台灣高等法院檢察署法醫中心，並將積極籌設法務部法醫研究所，以全力推動法醫學研究。而法醫師之權責及定位以參考美國州立主任法醫師制度並立法規定法醫師管轄之法定死亡案件形態最為可行。以法醫師兼具有法律與醫學之專業知識，應為法律與醫學溝通之橋樑，若賦予相當之職權，必能充份發揮功能，保障社會及大眾之權益。我國現今之法律對法醫管轄之案件並未詳細規定，造成現行檢察官困於保守民風而無法源根據以為辦案之準繩，這也是造成我國具有較低解剖率之主因。參考美國某些州法對法醫解剖案件及死亡管理的立法條款，並積極推動立法以保障人民權益及生命尊嚴，實為我各級司法及檢察單位之當急要務。近年來法務部在積極籌設法醫研究所之餘，並預備邀集各學門之專業人才，為法醫人員培訓、法醫學研究及建全法醫師制度做整體性之推動。若能立法付予法醫師適當法律地位及規定法醫管轄之死亡案件形態，必能建立良好的法醫常度，保障大眾之權益，維護全民生命之尊嚴。
並列摘要
Although the Chinese coroner system is one of the ancestral death investigation systems of the world, the medicolegal system in Taiwan become urgent development in recent years. The traditional attorney-guided coroner system in Taiwan has led about twenty times lower the autopsy/coroner's inquest rate in comparative with other modern countries. The jurisdiction o f the coroner, attorney-guided coroner and medical examiner is generally the same by law, however an independent medical examiner's approach and decision-making is more medically oriented and tends to be more expansive and ready to adopt to the needs in medicolegal issues arising from death investigation progress. It is imperative to know the low autopsy rate due to the statues in Taiwan that dose not cover the sudden and unexpected death including accident, suicide or homicide. The law specifically should expand to cover more public health issues, i.e., the investigation of deaths in nursing home, psychiatric hospital or custody such as in jail or during arrest procedure by a police officer and give authority to investigate any death suspected of being a contagious disease which would constitute a public hazard. Furthermore, Ministry of Justice plans to establish a research institute and to provide the educational and research opportunity for the forensic pathologists as well as other forensic scientists in order to conduct adequate medicolegal investigation.