Forensic Health Sciences

The Canadian criminal justice is an adversarial system of adjudication which pits the State against accused. The system applies well-established rules governing both the procedural and substantive aspects of a criminal process. The conflict takes place within a criminal trial and related judicial proceedings. This course pursues a detailed exploration of the criminal justice process, from the commencement of the investigation to the verdict at trial. Each step is considered in the context of the goal of a fair and impartial inquiry aimed at getting at the truth. The perspective of the major players in the process, including the police, Crown counsel, the accused, the judge and jury, and even witnesses, are all explained and explored.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

This course provides a critical look at the fundamental principles of forensic science and its origins. Techniques and instrumentation employed by forensic experts, methodology used to maintain continuity and integrity of evidence and evolving best practices are examined and analyzed. The role of physical evidence in civil and criminal trials will be evaluated and challenged based on current practices in forensic science.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

In Canada, forensic health care and forensic nursing are emerging as a new concepts in both health care and areas where medical and legal issues overlap. This course will provide health care and allied health professionals, and criminal justice and other professions whose work intersects with components of the healthcare system with a foundation in the forensic health sciences and its application to clinical practice in Canada. The Criminal Code of Canada, provincial and federal laws will be discussed pertaining to individuals who may be the victim of non-intentional or intentional injuries or trauma, crime and violence. The specific areas of sexual violence and abuse, death investigation, child and elder maltreatment, interpersonal violence, drug and alcohol use and forensic psychiatrics/corrections will be described with respect to the forensic roles and responsibilities of professionals who work in the field of forensic health sciences. Recognition, collection and preservation of evidence and medicolegal documentation will be examined. The interlinking roles of forensic science, law enforcement, judicial and health care professionals are defined and explored as related to health care today and in the future. Instructors are industry experts from within healthcare, law enforcement, criminal justice and forensic sciences. Students will complete individual assignments and also work in groups to analyze data.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

This course provides a clinical and forensic science based model of care for the forensic assessment and evaluation of patients/victims of non-intentional and intentional injuries, trauma, violence and crime across the lifespan. Topics include: Principles of forensic evidence collection, child and elder maltreatment, interpersonal violence, sexual violence and abuse and assault, and legal nurse consulting. You will explore the process of testifying in criminal, civil and inquest proceedings, and examine other aspects such as violence prevention, psychosocial factors in violence, human trafficking, and forensic toxicology related to forensic health care.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in FSCT 9810

The forensic evaluation and documentation of injuries and trauma is a key component of the application of forensic health sciences for victims of non-intentional and intentional injuries, violence and crime. Although this expertise is commonly used in medicolegal death investigations the application can also be applied to the living patient “living forensics” a concept that is relatively new in Canada. This course is designed to provide the medical, scientific and forensic principles relevant to the investigation and forensic health care of both fatalities and the survivors or injuries and trauma. The course will focus on assessment, evaluation and documentation of blunt and sharp injuries, sustained in a variety of settings and the legal aspects of documentation of wounds and injuries. Students will engage in online discussions regarding the forensic evaluation of injuries, complete individual assignments, and analyze characteristics of injuries and their mechanisms, presenting their findings to their peers.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in FSCT 9810

​This comprehensive course is designed to broaden the expertise of registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians who currently provide or will be providing pediatric sexual violence medical evaluation. The focus of this Canadian-based education will be on caring for the sexually abused pediatric population. This evidence-based course will be interactive, case-based and provide practical opportunities for clinicians to obtain feedback on different practice elements including evaluation, documentation, and application of forensic science principles. This nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by the International Association of Forensic Nurses, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. IAFN Approval: AU6012020.BCITP
Prerequisite(s):

• FSCT 9840 and/or current FNE experience or physician.

This course is designed for persons interested in death scene investigations. Participants will learn about all aspects of medicolegal death investigation including classification of death types, identification of deceased persons, appropriate evidence collection at a death scene, the external appearance of the body in both violent and natural deaths, and post mortem changes to the body. Relationship to the scene of death is emphasized as are features of various injuries/wounds and determination of causation [some of the material on external examination will also apply to the living e.g., assault victims.] This course outlines the interdisciplinary approach to death investigation by highlighting the roles of the coroner (medical examiner), pathologist, police & forensic scientists.
Prerequisite(s):

• FSCT 9810