El Cuerpo Médico Forense cumple 130 años

130 years after the law that formalized its creation, the Forensic Medical Corps celebrated this anniversary with an event in the Supreme Court's Auction Room, where leading figures in the medico-legal field gave presentations and the new issue of the biannual publication, Cuadernos Argentinos de Ciencias Forenses (Argentine Forensic Science Notebooks), was launched. In the presence of court officials, academic authorities, union representatives, and members of the Forensic Medical Corps and the Morgue, the director of the Federal Judicial Assistance Center, Pablo Lamounan, highlighted "the committed and professional management that sustains the prestige of this institution" and emphasized the importance of making visible the daily work performed by its members: "We are the invisible cog in the sentencing process," he summarized. In this regard, he mentioned among recent milestones the growth of training programs, the filling of vacancies, and the systematic collaboration with the interior of the country. “We deployed our professionals to the jurisdictions that requested them, bringing forensic doctors closer to their communities. We allocated human and material resources to contribute to the resolution of complex cases. And this prestige transcends borders: just 10 days ago, Ecuador requested the presence of two experts to serve as observers,” he explained. “Since 2022, we have been conducting the largest recruitment drive in the history of the CMF,” aimed at incorporating more than 60 experts, he commented. He explained that having completed the staff in its various specialties “allows us to efficiently meet judicial requirements and continue expanding our reach across the country, as mandated by the Supreme Court.” The Dean of the CMF, Leonardo Ghioldi, elaborated on the relationship between the expert body and the Supreme Court, under whose jurisdiction it operates. “The Court is involved in major Argentine issues, acting as an anchor of legality in the political debate. One might say that this function is more than sufficient in public life. However, the Court should be read through its rulings, but it is also interesting to see what it does internally,” he noted, and listed initiatives that reflect the Judiciary's interest in expert work, such as projects and investments in building infrastructure and technological equipment. For his part, Roberto Godoy, former dean and co-author of the CMF regulations, recalled the decision adopted by the Court in 2008, when it promoted the functional and regulatory reorganization of the department, in line with the evolving development of forensic medicine, legal science itself, and legislative technique. “This required a framework that would give greater effectiveness to the capabilities we provide to the courts,” he said. Godoy praised the figure of former judge Carmen Argibay, whose "decisive will" propelled the transformation that laid the foundation for the current stage of the CMF. "Argibay was present in the debate, in the exchange of ideas: her personal and legal integrity, her institutional and republican vision, are behind each of the rules that make up the regulations," he stated. He also emphasized the expert role, affirming: "With our daily work, we contribute to the judge's realization of the most important value within any community: Justice." Meanwhile, former forensic physician Juan Carlos Romi, compiler of the CMF's history, offered a chronological overview of forensic medicine in Argentina, before introducing the latest issue of the institutional journal, presented by its director, Andrea Colussi, coordinator of the Department of Teaching, Research, and Bioethics. “The authors’ contributions elevate our publication, allowing us to stay current, evaluate the work of all specialists, and enhance our ongoing training,” he noted. This edition’s table of contents includes articles on topics such as the challenges facing the organization’s newly formed Ethics Committee, sample collection in autopsies and exhumations for forensic genetic analysis, the contributions of forensic psychology to the administration of justice, the medico-legal approach in cases of drug-facilitated sexual assault and crimes facilitated by psychoactive substances, the exceptional nature of medical confidentiality in HIV infection cases, and the functional implications of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on pension benefits.