Clinical forensic medicine is concerned with providing services to the living. This branch of forensics provides advice in the investigation of crimes and administrative matters. The professionals involved include specialist forensic physicians, specialist and general practitioners, and a large number of part-time forensic medical officers. Some of the services provided by this aspect of forensic medicine include general forensic medicine consultations, investigations of the needs of the family, and sexual assault examinations and opinions. This branch of forensic science also provides medical assistance for courts including advice from doctors to police regarding alcohol and drug abuse and its effects on the judgment of the alleged offender.
According to the Royal College of Pathologists, forensic pathology "is the discipline of pathology concerned with the investigation of deaths where there are medico-legal implications, for example, suspected homicides, death in custody and other complex medico-legal cases." This department is involved in carrying out autopsies to determine the cause of death in cases that appear to be stabbings, shootings or head injuries. Autopsies are carried out under the orders of a coroner, and police are always present. If required, forensic pathologists may appear in court on the behalf of a defendant on a murder charge.
Forensic toxicology is the discipline of forensic science which is involved in the study of poisons. Thousands of poisons, which may be synthetic or organic in nature, are studied by forensic toxicologists, who may may call upon their knowledge of subjects such as analytical chemistry, biochemistry, pathology, pharmacodynamics and physiology. Alcohol and drugs are included as poisons. Forensic toxicology is the study of the composition, preparation and identification of poisons. A forensic toxicologist is an expert on how toxins and poisons travel through the body and affect it in various ways.
Another name for medical jurisprudence is legal medicine. This science deals with the application of medical facts to the law. Medical professionals may give legal evidence in courts of law after the specialist has done a post-mortem forensic examination.