The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee today welcomed the publication of the 2023 Annual Report of the Office of the State Pathologist.
The Office of the State Pathologist provides a national, year-round forensic pathology service in Ireland, offering independent expert advice on matters relating to forensic pathology and performing post mortem examinations in criminal, suspicious or unusual deaths. State pathologists are often required to attend and give evidence in coronial, criminal or civil courts or sometimes to attend crime scenes.
The report notes the wide range of valuable work conducted by the Office throughout 2023, including 400 cases of which 48%, or 192, were State forensic cases.
Publishing the report, Minister McEntee said:
“The dedication and professionalism of Professor Linda Mulligan and her team are reflected in the wide-ranging influence of their work. In addition to their crucial work on 400 cases in 2023, the Office of the State Pathologist continues to provide forensic advice to a variety of groups and to educate government bodies, An Garda Síochána, the military police, and medical schools in universities across Ireland on the field of forensic pathology.”
The Office also has formal research elective agreements in place with the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow (Masters of Forensic Science), Royal College of Surgeons (undergraduate medicine) and UCD (undergraduate medicine), where Professor Mulligan was appointed clinical professor in 2022. These collaborations continue to produce a range of interesting projects, and in December 2023, a paper by former elective student Eimear Bourke entitled “Breaking point? An analysis of fatal stab wounds to the torso in Ireland between 2011 and 2018, examining the extent of rib fractures was published in the Journal of Forensic Science”.
The team provides expert input to many boards and advisory groups, including the Autopsy Quality Improvement Committee, the HSE mortuary improvement programme, and the Faculty of Pathology RCPI.
Speaking on the team’s work in 2023, Professor Linda Mulligan said:
“The Office of the State Pathologist collaborates with a huge number of stakeholders to ensure the highest standards of practice. In 2023, we reviewed our paper-based processes in line with the Department of Justice environmental policy and introduced paperless reporting to coroners. We also had important input into the development of the Human Tissue Act 2024, and we continue to work with the HSE, Faculty of Pathology, and the Department of Justice to support the reform of the coronial autopsy service.”
Minister McEntee added:
“The Office’s contribution to education and research in the field of forensic pathology cannot be understated. As well as preparing the upcoming generation of forensic pathologists, Professor Mulligan and her team’s input into research, innovation, and best practices in the area will ensure that we maintain the highest standards in forensic pathology in Ireland.”
2023 marked Professor Linda Mulligan’s third year as Chief State Pathologist. The Office enjoyed a full team for most of the year, with a Chief State Pathologist, two State Pathologists, two Deputy State Pathologists (one of whom departed in November 2023), and a locum State pathologist based in Cork. Reflecting on 2023, Professor Linda Mulligan said:
“The support and governance offered by Minister McEntee and the Department of Justice have allowed us to continue to expand and strengthen the work that we do. We will keep striving towards the highest standards of practice in forensic pathology with the ultimate aim of providing the best possible service to bereaved families and loved ones across Ireland, as well as the coroners, An Garda Síochána and the courts.”
Read the full report here
Notes
The Office of the State Pathologist provides independent expert advice on matters relating to forensic pathology and performing post mortem examinations in criminal, suspicious or unusual deaths.
Forensic pathology is the discipline of medicine that deals with the interpretation of injuries and the determination of the cause of death for legal purposes.
State Pathologists are often required to attend and give evidence in coronial, criminal or civil courts.
The Office of the State Pathologist also deals with a significant number of other types of cases such as skeletonised remains, which may require the expertise of a forensic anthropologist, cold case reviews and referred cases, which are cases that are referred from coroners, An Garda Síochána and other jurisdictions for a further professional opinion.
Notes from the Office of State Pathologist Annual Report 2023
During 2023, 400 cases were dealt with by the Office of the state Pathologist (this figure was 417 in 2022, 327 in 2021, 345 in 2020, 335 in 2019 and 286 in 2018). 192, or 48%, of these were state forensic cases.
Attendance at the scene of death was recorded in approximately 4% of cases. (This figure was 26 of 213 cases (12%) in 2022.)
The Office, at the direction of the Dublin District Coroner, carried out 161 adult non-suspicious post mortem examinations.
There were 36 cases of skeletonised remains, 17 of which were documented as animal bones, 19 as human bones.
