Doctors and the law

Many doctors are concerned about the law and the way it relates to their professional life, as was evident from the number of delegates attending the conference on legal aspects of medicine held at the Royal College of Physicians in November 1993. Those taking part came from a diversity of professional backgrounds--junior and career grade hospital staff working in various specialties, general medical and dental practitioners, prison medical officers and police surgeons, specialists in forensic medicine, lawyers and coroners. The result was a stimulating exploration of the interface between medicine and the law, considering first the doctor's responsibilities in law and the circumstances which may lead to an appearance in court, and then the doctor as carer of the victims or perpetrators of crime.