Press release
Minister McEntee publishes the Office of the State Pathologist Annual Report 2019
Published on
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Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has today welcomed the Annual Report of the Office of the State Pathologist (OSP) for 2019. The report was submitted to the Minister by OSP and brought to the government in early September and has been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
Welcoming the annual report, Minister McEntee said:
"The Office of the State Pathologist plays a vital role in the criminal justice system through investigating suspicious deaths. The expertise and professionalism of our pathologists is an essential service to An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service and ultimately to the families of victims seeking justice.
"The common thread through all aspects of their role is that of service. Service to the deceased victims of crime and to their families and friends. Service to the next generation of professionals in the field. And service to society at large.
"I commend the Office for the very difficult work which they carry out, on all of our behalf.
"The Annual Report makes reference to the excellent work done by the RCPI in their Review of the Office published in 2019. My department is fully committed to working with the OSP in the coming years to give practical effect to the recommendations of the Review."
Recruitment opportunities in the Office of the State Pathologist have been advertised by the Public Appointments Service today, Friday 25 September. These can be found at www.publicjobs.ie/en/index.php?option=com_jobsearch&view=jobdetails&Itemid=263&cid=124277&campaignId=20197401
ENDS
The Annual Report can be found here.
The OSP is a non-statutory executive agency established on an administrative basis under the aegis of the Department of Justice. Forensic pathology is the discipline of medicine that deals with the determination of the cause of death for legal purposes. Forensic pathologists are medical doctors who are trained in anatomical pathology and the forensic examination and interpretation of injuries at post mortem examination.
The main activity of the Office is the performance of post mortem examinations in cases of sudden, unexplained death where a criminal or suspicious element is present (referred to as “State” cases). Forensic pathologists provide an indispensable service to the death investigation system.
OSP’s annual report is a detailed account of how they fulfilled their mandate in 2019, notably: