About Us

Medico Legal Update is a double-blind peer reviewed journal which brings the latest knowledge regarding changing medico legal scenarios within India and globally to its readers. The journal caters to specialties of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Science, DNA fingerprinting, Toxicology, Environmental hazards, Sexual Medicine, Forensic Anatomy, Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Odontology, Criminology and medico-legal aspects of civil, criminal, public and informational laws and public policies.The journal is indexed with Google Scholar, Scilit, CINAHL, EBSCOhost (USA),Embase and many other international databases. The journal has been assigned international standard serial number (ISSN) 0971-720X. The journal is registered with Registrar of Newspaper for India vide registration numbers 63757/96 under Press and Registration of Books act, 1867.

Medico legal updateis a quarterly journal. The journal is open access now. You can see it Website: http://ijop.net/index.php/mlu Current issue and issues of 2020 are also hosted there.

This is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.

Aim and scope of Journal
Scope

1. Medical Ethics:Exploration of ethical considerations and dilemmas in medical practice, research, and healthcare delivery.
2. Legal Medicine:Application of medical knowledge to legal issues, including the determination of cause of death, assessment of injuries, and medical expert testimony in legal cases.
3. Healthcare Law:Examination of legal issues related to healthcare delivery, including patient rights, informed consent, and medical malpractice.
4. Bioethics:Discussion of ethical issues arising from advances in medical technology, genetics, and biotechnology.
5. Patient Rights and Advocacy:Exploration of legal protections and rights afforded to patients and the role of legal mechanisms in safeguarding patient interests.
6. Forensic Psychiatry:Consideration of mental health issues in the legal context, including assessments of competency and criminal responsibility.
7. Medical Malpractice:Analysis of legal cases involving alleged negligence or misconduct by healthcare professionals and institutions.
8. Health Policy and Legislation:Examination of laws and policies affecting healthcare systems, medical research, and public health.
9. Informed Consent:Discussion of the legal requirements and ethical considerations surrounding informed consent in medical treatments and research.
10. Medical Privacy and Confidentiality:Exploration of legal protections for patient privacy and confidentiality in healthcare settings.
11. Law, Technology, and Healthcare:Navigating issues at the intersection of law, technology, and healthcare, such as the legal and ethical implications of digital patient records, telemedicine, and health information systems.

Aims

Medico-Legal Update aims to cover a broad range of topics at the intersection of medicine and law. Our aims include:

1. Knowledge Dissemination:To disseminate high-quality research, reviews,and case studies at the intersection of medicine and law, ensuring that practitioners, researchers, and policymakers stay informed about the latest developments in medico-legal issues.
2. Professional Development:To provide a resource for the professional development of healthcare providers and legal professionals, offering insights into the ethical, legal, and policy challenges they face.
3. Interdisciplinary Dialogue:To foster interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration between medical and legal professionals, promoting mutual understanding and cooperative problem-solving.
4. Global Perspectives:To incorporate and highlight global perspectives on medico-legal issues, acknowledging and comparing the variations in legal frameworks, healthcare systems, and ethical considerations across different regions and jurisdictions.
5. Policy Impact: To influence healthcare policy by providing evidence-based research and analyses that can inform legislative and regulatory decisions.
6. Ethical Discourse: To create a platform for the discussion and debate of ethical issues in medicine, encouraging the development of consensus and best practices.
7. Ethical Discourse:To create a platform for the discussion and debate of ethical issues in medicine, encouraging the development of consensus and best practices.
8. Legal Education:To enhance the education of legal professionals in the nuances of medical practice and research, particularly in areas such as medical negligence, patient rights, and forensic medicine.
9. Patient Rights and Advocacy: To discuss legal aspects of patient rights, informed consent, and the legal obligations of healthcare providers to ensure patient safety and well-being.
10. Public Awareness:To raise public awareness about medico-legal issues,helping to inform and educate patients and the broader community about their rights and the legal implications of medical care.
11. Case Documentation:To document and analyze important case reports and legal precedents that have significant implications for both medical and legal practice, serving as a valuable reference for professionals in both fields.
12. Expert Testimony: To explore and enhance the role of expert testimony in legal proceedings, addressing the challenges and standards for the admissibility and reliability of medical evidence in court.

Target Readership:

Our audience is diverse, encompassing professionals and stakeholders from both the medical and legal fields, as well as policymakers and academics. Specifically, our audience includes:

1. Healthcare Professionals:
   • Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers interested in understanding the legal and ethical dimensions of their practice.
   • Medical researchers who need to navigate ethical and legal regulations in their work.
   • Hospital administrators and healthcare managers responsible for ensuring compliance with legal standards and ethical practices.
   • Medical professionals seeking to protect themselves from allegations of medical malpractice and to find the best ways to navigate and resolve such issues.
2. Legal Professionals:
   • Lawyers and legal advisors specializing in medical malpractice, healthcare law,and bioethics.
   • Judges and legal scholars who handle cases involving medical issues.
   • Forensic experts and legal consultants who provide expert testimony in court.
3. Policy Makers and Regulators:
   • Government officials and lawmakers involved in drafting and implementing healthcare policies and regulations.
   • Public health authorities who need to understand the legal implications of healthcare delivery and policy.
4. Academics and Researchers:
   • Scholars and students in the fields of medical ethics, bioethics, health law, and forensic medicine.
   • Interdisciplinary researchers studying the interface between law, medicine, and ethics.
5. Patient Advocacy Groups:
   • Organizations and advocates focused on patient rights, informed consent, and healthcare ethics.
   • Representatives of patient groups who need to understand the legal protections and rights afforded to patients.
6. Medical and Law Students:
   • Students in medical and law schools who are pursuing specialized courses in medical jurisprudence, forensic medicine, and healthcare law.
   • Trainees in related fields who seek to understand the broader context of their future professional responsibilities.
7. Medical and Law Students:
   • Members of the general public who are interested in understanding their rights within the healthcare system.
   • Journalists and media professionals reporting on healthcare, legal issues, and policy developments.

This diverse audience reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the journal, aimed at fostering a comprehensive understanding of medico-legal issues across various sectors, including helping medical professionals protect themselves from malpractice allegations.

Types of Articles

We welcome a diverse range of manuscript types for publication in the field of medico-legal issues, including:

1. Original Research:
   • Studies presenting new and original findings related to medico-legal issues, including medical ethics, healthcare law, forensic medicine, and bioethics.
2. Review Papers:
   • Comprehensive analyses of existing research on specific medico-legal topics, providing a thorough overview and critical insights.
   • Identification of areas for novel research and gaps in the existing literature, guiding future research directions.
3. Case Reports:
   • Detailed reports of individual or group cases providing unique insights into medico-legal issues, such as medical malpractice, legal medicine,and forensic psychiatry.
4. Case Studies:
   • In-depth examinations of specific medico-legal scenarios or interventions, highlighting practical and legal challenges and solutions.
5. Research Protocols:
   • Detailed plans and methodologies for proposed or ongoing research studies in the field of medico-legal issues.
6. Legal Reviews:
   • Analyses of current laws and regulations, examining their implications for healthcare delivery, practice, and patient outcomes.
   • Discussions on legal reforms and their potential impact on the healthcare system.
7. Commentaries and Editorials:
   • Rigorous and well-substantiated opinions and analyses on current issues in the intersection of medicine, law, and ethics.
8. Book Reviews:
   • Critical evaluations of books that contribute to the scholarly discourse within the field of medico-legal studies.
9. Systematic Reviews:
   • Structured reviews that follow a specific methodology to synthesize existing research on medico-legal topics.
10. Meta-Analyses:
    • Quantitative analyses that combine data from multiple studies to derive overall conclusions relevant to medico-legal issues.
11. Letters to the Editor:
    • Thoughtful and concise discussions or critiques of recently published articles in the journal and/or imploring for exploration and research on a given topic.
12. Brief Reports:
    • Short communications of preliminary findings or novel methodologies in medico-legal research.
13. Technical Notes:
    • Descriptions of new techniques, tools, or methodologies relevant to medico-legal research and practice.

Please note:

• We do not publish standalone survey results. Submissions should include a clear research hypothesis and conclusive findings.
• We do not publish standalone survey results. Submissions should include a clear research hypothesis and conclusive findings.

Publication Schedule:

Medico-Legal Update (MLU) maintains a quarterly publication schedule, releasing four issues per year consistently since its inception. Authors are encouraged to submit their manuscripts at any time, knowing that our journal is committed to timely and regular publication.

Archiving Policy:

Medico-Legal Update (MLU) became an Open Access journal in 2020. All issues post-2020 are archived into repositories such as PKP PN (Public Knowledge Project), LOCKSS and CLOCKSS, Crossref, and EBSCO(Host), as well as on the journal websites (MLU and OJS).

Access to Articles and Supplementary Materials:

Authors seeking full-length articles, abstracts, reference lists, or citation information for specific articles not accessible on databases like EMBASE, Google Scholar, or EBSCO(Host), are encouraged to contact the editorial office at medicolegalupdate@gmail.com. We are pleased to offer these supplementary materials free of charge.

Access to Articles and Supplementary Materials:

Authors seeking full-length articles, abstracts, reference lists, or citation information for specific articles not accessible on databases like EMBASE, Google Scholar, or EBSCO(Host), are encouraged to contact the editorial office at medicolegalupdate@gmail.com. We are pleased to offer these supplementary materials free of charge.

Manuscript Versions:

Medico-Legal Update (MLU) maintains all versions of submitted manuscripts in its database. These versions are preserved either via email, in HDD format, or within the OJS system.

Self-Archiving:

Authors are permitted to self-archive the accepted and pre- published versions of their articles on personal websites or deposit them in any repository. After publication, when posting any version of the manuscript, proper acknowledgment to the original source of publication is required, along with a link to the published article on the journal's website. The link should include the DOI number in the following format: "The final publication is available at link.journalsite.com via https://dx.doi.org/(insert DOI and remove brackets)." There are no embargoes associated with any version of the manuscript.Previous versions of the article on non-commercial pre-print servers, such as SSRN, may be retained or updated with the author's accepted version. However, after publication, authors must acknowledge the final publication and provide a link to the article on the journal's website, including the DOI number in the sentence:"The final publication is available at Medico-Legal Update, via https://dx.doi.org/(insert DOI and remove brackets)."

Copyright and Licensing Policy:

• Copyright Ownership:Authors retain copyright ownership of their work after publication in Medico-Legal Update (MLU). However, they grant the journal an exclusive Creative Commons license.
• Creative Commons License:Authors grant Medico-Legal Update (MLU) the right to exclusively apply a Creative Commons license to their work upon publication. This license permits use, distribution, and reproduction of the work in any medium, provided that the original work and its source are properly cited. The specific license applied is https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/deed.en, which allows for attribution, non-commercial use, and derivative works.
• Editorial Research:Authors grant the journal the right to analyze information obtained from submitted manuscripts for editorial research purposes. This analysis aims to improve the peer-review process, teaching, and training activities.
• Warranties:Authors warrant that their work is original, contains no libelous statements, is lawful, and does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, patent, or proprietary rights of others. Authors agree to indemnify the editors against any costs, expenses, and damages arising from any breach of this warranty.
• Views and Opinions:The views and opinions expressed in the article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the journal.

Revenue Sources:

• Print Copies: We provide hard copies of the journal to colleges and universities.
• Author Publishing Charges:Reasonable publication fees are charged only upon acceptance of the article for publication. There are no charges for manuscript submission.
• Advertising and Sponsorship:For advertising inquiries, please contact the editorial office at medicolegalupdate@gmail.com. Our advertising policy can be accessed below.

Advertising Policy Link to our advertising Policy here

"The first issue of Medico-Legal Update was published in 2005"