| Abstract: | In the Burial Ordinance of the State of Baden-Württemberg taking effect on 1 November 2000 some aspects of the post-mortem examination have been revised. One of these revisions concerns the determination of the manner of death: In addition to the alternatives available so far ("natural death" and "clues to unnatural death") there is now the option to classify the death as "unclear"; in this case the physician is obliged to inform the local police without delay. The emergency doctors working in the ambulance service may restrict themselves to the determination of death; if there are grounds suggesting an unnatural death, the emergency doctor has to inform the ambulance control station immediately, which will then inform the police. Another new regulation is that the post-mortem examination has to be performed at the place of death or the place where the body was found. Moreover the Ordinance standardizes the obligation to perform a "thorough" examination on the undressed body under adequate light conditions. If there are clues pointing to an unnatural death or if the body is unidentified no changes must be made, in particular the body must not be undressed. The new legal situation is described and discussed with regard to its practical implications related to the determination of death. |
