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A state of Injustice - Dr Robert N Moles
Glossary

A state of Injustice: table of contents

Also by Dr Moles - Losing Their Grip - The Case of Henry Keogh - Definition and Rule in Legal Theory

abdominal

the stomach region of the body

ABO

the ABO blood group substances are the determinants which define the ABO group of the blood (A, B, AB or O). About 80 per cent of the population secrete their blood group substances in their bodily fluids such as semen and saliva. These people are known as ‘secretors’.

actus reus

a completed physical act that forms the basis of a criminal offence

adrenaline

a hormone produced in the adrenal glands. It is released into the bloodstream when faced with an emergency, shock or fear, and speeds up the heart rate and breathing to make the muscles work faster. It is used in the treatment of severe allergic reaction.

adversarial legal system

the legal system practised in Australia, where each side putting its version of events to a jury by calling witnesses and taking them through their evidence by asking questions, with the witness’s testimony being tested by the other side through cross-examination. In this system the role of the jury after hearing the evidence is to determine what the facts are. The judge acts as an umpire to ensure that both sides play by the rules.

algor mortis

cooling of the body after death

allergen

any substance which might produce an allergic reaction. An example is pollen, which may cause the allergic reaction of hay fever.

alveoli

air cells of the lungs, attached to the bronchial tubes, like little branches of brocolli

ambient conditions 
surrounding conditions, eg temperature of the room, air or water near where a body was found

amphetamines

drugs used as stimulants

anaphylactic shock

a systemic or whole body reaction to the presence of an allergen in the bloodstream

aneurism

a swelling like a small ‘balloon’ in an artery

angio-oedema

swelling of the lips, tongue, neck and face

antibodies

molecules which arise in response to the invasion of the body by foreign material such as bacteria, viruses and allergens. They work to destroy the foreign material and remove it from the system.

antigen

a substance that stimulates the production of antibodies in the body

antihistamine

blocks the effect of the histamine that has been released into the system in an allergic reaction

aorta

the main artery of the body, conveying blood from the left ventricle of the heart to all of the body except the lungs

aortic arch

also known as the isthmus, the bend of the large artery coming from the top of the heart and firmly fixed to the surrounding tissues of the body

arrhythmia

an irregular heartbeat

artifactual bleeding / bruising

bleeding / bruising caused during the procedures of an autopsy

asphyxiation

suffocation

aspire

inhale, breathe in

asystolic

also known as straightline, where there is no heartbeat as shown on an electrocardiogram monitor that is recording electrical activity associated with the heartbeat.

ATP

adenosine triphosphate, a chemical that keeps muscles flexible. Its absence causes rigor mortis or stiffening in a dead body.

autopsy

also known as post-mortem examination, post-mortem or PM, procedure of examining a dead body to determine the cause of death. See also hospital autopsy and forensic autopsy

Birmingham Six

one of the major IRA terrorist cases in the United Kingdom in which the convictions were overturned many years later [Go here for R v McIlkenney on NetK]

blood spattering

provides information about the location and movements of  person during an attack

CCRC

Criminal Cases Review Commission in the United Kingdom [Go here for CCRC homepage on NetK]

chain-of-causation

establishes the order of events leading to death

chain-of-evidence

the complete and unbroken linking of all relevant evidence to the source from which it arises

Chamberlain case

the famous Australian case in which a mother was convicted of murdering her baby while on a camping holiday near Uluru. She had claimed that a dingo had taken the baby. The conviction was subsequently overturned by a Royal Commission [Go here for links to Lindy Chamerlain on NetK]

civil case

an action between individuals, companies or public entities

committal hearing

also known as the preliminary hearing, a hearing held to review the evidence against the accused and to satisfy the magistrate that there is a sufficient case to go for trial. The Magistrates Court is also referred to as the Local Court in some states.

contamination of scene

the alteration or interference with the scene after a criminal event that makes reconstruction of the scene difficult

contamination / destruction of evidence

see destruction / contamination of evidence

corticosteroids

synthetic hormones, used to treat certain diseases. Examples are cortisone and dexamethasone

CPR

cardiopulmonary resuscitation

criminal case

an action between the state on the one hand and an individual or group on the other

defence counsel

the lawyer representing the accused person in court

defibrillator

a machine used to apply an electric shock across the chest when fibrillation of the heart occurs

destruction / contamination of evidence

evidence that has been lost, removed or transformed in some way as to make it unavailable or unusable

diagnostic reagent

a chemical used in a series of reactions or tests to identify (diagnose) a medical condition

diatoms

microscopic unicellular algae found in fresh and salt water

Dietrich principle

the prosecution cannot proceed with a case if a person is unable to pay for their legal representation on serious criminal charges, and the State will not pay for their defence

double jeopardy

where a person has been tried and acquitted of a criminal offence, they cannot subsequently be tried again for the same offence or any other offence arising principally from the same circumstances

DPP

Director of Public Prosecutions

drowning

see wet and dry drowning

dry drowning

death where water has not reached the lungs while alive. This may happen when a spasm of the larynx, for example, blocks the passage of air (and hence water) into the lungs while the person is alive. See also wet drowning.

endocrine

Relating to the edocrine gland or organ or their secretions in the body

entomology

study of insects

epinephrine

a biological chemical produced in the adrenal glands. It can dilate (expand) some blood vessels and can also increase the force and rate of contraction of the heart

evidence-in-chief

information provided by witnesses through their written statements made and signed before the trial and presented to the jury via questioning of the witnesses

exculpate

tending to acquit, clear of a criminal charge

expert witness

witness with credentials upon which their expertise is based who gives evidence about what they have seen (eg a pathologist reporting on observations at an autopsy), as well as providing an opinion on what inferences may be drawn from the facts as they are or may be established. The only type of witness allowed to give an opinion.

fibrillation

caused when the heart muscle is twitching but not moving enough to pump blood

fibrin

a highly insoluble protein which forms the structural network of a blood clot. It is formed from a soluble blood protein (fibrinogen) in the clotting process

forensic autopsy

differs from a hospital autopsy in that the forensic pathologist doesn’t only look for disease, but also for signs of trauma, injury or foreign objects such as bullets, as well as clues to a suspect, to try to determine how and when the death occurred.

forensic scientist

a scientist who uses their science training for the investigation of crime

formalin

an aqueous solution of formaldehyde which is used to harden and preserve tissues

Guildford Four

Another of the famous United Kingdom IRA terrorist cases where those convicted subsequently had their convictions overturned, many years later [Go here for R v Maguire on NetK]/a>

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