D. Detailed Guidelines on Autopsy 1. Background and key principles 250. These Guidelines should be followed during an autopsy of a potentially unlawful death.109 The order in which things are done needs to be carefully thought about in advance, priorities established, and procedures prepared for, in accordance with the particular circumstances of the case. A complex autopsy may take an entire working day or even longer, as the examiner may need to return for further examinations. 251. These Guidelines may be of value to the following: (a) Experienced forensic doctors or pathologists, who may follow them to ensure a systematic examination and to facilitate meaningful positive or negative criticism by later observers (b) General pathologists or other physicians who have not been trained in forensic pathology or medicine but who are familiar with basic autopsy techniques. It may also alert them to situations in which they should seek consultation (c) Independent consultants whose expertise has been requested in observing, performing, or reviewing an autopsy and may cite these Guidelines and their proposed minimum criteria as a basis for their actions or opinions (d) Governmental authorities, international political organizations, law enforcement agencies, families or friends of the deceased, or representatives of potential defendants charged with responsibility for a death (e) Historians, journalists, attorneys, judges, other physicians and representatives of the public, who may use the Guidelines as a benchmark for evaluating an autopsy and its findings (f) Governments or individuals who are attempting either to establish or to upgrade their medicolegal system for investigating deaths, who may use the Guidelines as a basis. 252. Use of these Guidelines will help thwart the speculation and innuendo that are fuelled by unanswered, partially answered, or poorly answered questions arising from the investigation of a potentially unlawful death. 253. The date, start and finishing times and the place of the autopsy should be recorded. 254. The name(s) of the forensic pathologist prosector(s), the participating assistant(s) and all other persons present during the autopsy should be recorded, including the medical and/or scientific degrees and professional, political or administrative affiliations(s) of each. Each person’s role in the autopsy should be indicated. If there are multiple prosectors, one should be designated as the principal prosector with authority to direct the performance of the autopsy. 255. Adequate photographs are crucial for the thorough documentation of autopsy findings and for enabling them to be independently reviewed:110 (a) Photographs should be taken using a highquality camera/lens. If high-quality equipment is not available, then other equipment, such as mobile phones, may be acceptable, bearing in mind that it is important for the photographs to be of sufficient quality to enable the autopsy findings to be independently reviewed. Each photograph should contain a ruled reference scale and an identifying case name or number. A description of the camera and the lighting system should be included in the autopsy report. If more than one camera is used, the identifying information should be recorded for each. Photographs should also include information indicating which camera took each picture, if more than one camera is used. The identity of the person taking the photographs should be recorded (b) Serial photographs reflecting the course of the external examination should be included. Photograph the body prior to and following undressing, washing, shaving or hair cutting (c) Close-up photographs should be supplemented with distant and/or medium-range photographs to permit the orientation and identification of the close-up photographs 38 109 For further specific advice on approaches to and technical aspects of forensic autopsy, including the operation of the mortuary, see: Forensic Autopsy: Manual for Forensic Pathologists, UN Office on Drugs and Crime, October 2015. 110 Videotaping of the autopsy may also be considered. The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016)