Comparative Models of Medicolegal Death Investigation: Prosecutorial, Coronial, and Medical Examiner Systems

Abstract

There are three main models of medicolegal death investigation: prosecutorial, coronial, and physician-led medical examiner systems. The use of medical expertise in legal determinations of death dates back to Roman law, where physicians served as expert advisers—a tradition that persisted throughout continental Europe. Systematic autopsy practices developed in Northern Italy during the thirteenth century, and forensic autopsies were further refined in German-speaking centers such as Leipzig, Vienna, and Berlin between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Modern policing evolved later, incorporating medical expertise as evidence. Today, prosecutorial systems are prevalent in continental Europe and many other parts of the world. Coronial systems, which emerged later in the Anglo-Commonwealth tradition, focus on independent, quasi-judicial inquiries into death. Initially, these systems operated without formal medical involvement; however, they now include medical experts and serve important public health functions, while still relying heavily on police for investigations. Medical examiner systems are the newest model, where medically trained professionals—specifically forensic pathologists—have primary authority over death investigations, emphasizing scientific accuracy in the medicolegal process. They oversee their own investigative teams and play a vital role in public health.