Fernando R
Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Kynsey Road, Colombo 8, Sri Lanka.
Med Sci Law. 2003 Jul;43(3):236-40. doi: 10.1258/rsmmsl.43.3.236.
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) inherited the 'coroner system' of investigating death in the early nineteenth century. Unlike in England and Wales, the coroner system in Sri Lanka did not change much in the last century. This study, the first of its kind, was performed for a period of three months in 1995 to analyse the causes and circumstances of deaths reported for inquest, and the number of autopsies performed. Of the 868 cases reported to the Inquirer, the circumstances were not determined in 94 cases at the initial inquest proceedings. Of the other 774 cases, 454 (58.7%) were natural deaths. Autopsies were performed on 44.5% of natural deaths, 58.2% of accidental deaths, 96% of road traffic accidents, 44.9% of suicides and 81.6% of homicides. Coronary heart disease was the leading cause of natural death (33.9%). Head injuries were responsible for 31.8% of accidental deaths while burns accounted for 24.5% of accidental deaths and 46.3% of suicides. There were 38 cases (4.9%) of homicide of which autopsies were performed in 31. There is an urgent need to reform the century-old laws relating to inquest procedures in the country.
斯里兰卡（锡兰）在19世纪早期继承了调查死亡情况的“死因裁判制度”。与英格兰和威尔士不同，斯里兰卡的死因裁判制度在上个世纪变化不大。这项同类研究中的首例研究于1995年开展，为期三个月，旨在分析死因调查所报告死亡的原因和情况以及尸检数量。在向死因调查官报告的868起案件中，有94起案件在初步死因调查程序中情况未明。在其他774起案件中，454起（58.7%）为自然死亡。自然死亡案件中44.5%进行了尸检，意外死亡案件中58.2%进行了尸检，道路交通事故案件中96%进行了尸检，自杀案件中44.9%进行了尸检，杀人案件中81.6%进行了尸检。冠心病是自然死亡的主要原因（33.9%）。头部受伤占意外死亡的31.8%，烧伤占意外死亡的24.5%以及自杀的46.3%。有38起杀人案件（4.9%），其中31起进行了尸检。该国迫切需要改革与死因调查程序相关的百年老法。
