Ethical considerations in the routine identification of human remains in forensic mortuaries

A core component of medico-legal investigation is the identification of the deceased, which may assist in preliminary criminal investigation, as well as in the delivery of justice- a fundamental right to of every person to recognised as an individual, which includes having their identity acknowledged even after death. The process of forensic human identification can be complex, and each case poses different legal, social and ethical dilemmas. This article provides an overview of ethical issues surrounding the fair delivery of forensic human identification in a routine post-mortem setting affecting professionals worldwide. The discussion on ethical issues surrounding human identification is divided into four key themes: (1) respect for the dignity of the deceased, particularly surrounding religious beliefs, and the delivery of social justice to next-of-kin; (2) the delivery of fair and equal care to the unidentified person(s); (3) doing no harm – impact of misrepresentation of the deceased, through misinterpretation of biological findings and (4) ethical concerns surrounding the role of databases in identification. Despite the variety of scientific identification methodologies in existence, the resources for these are not always available or financially feasible at forensic facilities across the world. This is noticeable in the high number of unidentified human remains reported in middle-low-income countries when compared to higher income countries. While this article raises questions surrounding a number of ethical concerns, further research is required to explore solutions to these issues that are practical, feasible and appropriate.