African Centre for Medicolegal Systems

The African Centre for Medicolegal Systems (ACMS) was officially launched in Pretoria, South Africa, on 8 November 2022, marking a major step forward in the effort to strengthen forensic and medicolegal capacity in Africa.

The ACMS creates a network of African forensic and medicolegal policymakers and practitioners to promote forensic and medicolegal expertise and resources within the region and globally. The goal of the ACMS is to inform policymakers, improve the professional response of practitioners in medicolegal systems, and exchange lessons learned and best practices by convening regional events and coordinating and collaborating with African and international policy and practice communities.

The mission of the African Centre for Medicolegal Systems is to support the African region by addressing the needs of the populations affected by armed conflict, disasters and migration, improving multidisciplinary public service programmes through humanitarian forensic principles and practices implemented and practiced by judicial and medicolegal communities. We believe that by working together, we can improve all medicolegal systems throughout Africa and assist families affected by the loss of missing loved ones. By collaborating and coordinating efforts among international organizations, the African Centre for Medicolegal Systems empowers people at all levels within the justice and medicolegal systems to adopt humanitarian principles and practices for all victims, in all circumstances.

In June 2022, the ACMS began its work by collaborating with DNAforAfrica at a symposium in Nairobi. Working with DNAforAfrica demonstrated the value of the ICRC engaging collaboratively with other organizations and institutions at the regional level to extend awareness-raising and training on humanitarian forensic action to a wider African forensic audience.

The ACMS also convened a working group, in December 2022, to plan for the establishment of an African Forensic Sciences Academy. The ambition for the academy is to be a sustainable and professional association of forensic science practitioners that will create and promote uniformity within forensic science practice in Africa, lend credibility and visibility to the strong forensic community in Africa, promote African expertise and improve professional standards, certification, regulation and accreditation in all forensic sciences disciplines. The academy will be the first of its kind on the African continent and will provide a unique platform for exchanging knowledge and experience in forensic science. The academy will be announced officially at the March 2023 African Society of Forensic Medicine Conference in Kigali, Rwanda.

The training tool shows forensic identification activities that are graphic in nature and may not be suitable for all viewers. The forensic procedures shown were carried out on cadavers; this is necessary in order to demonstrate the multidisciplinary approach of forensic identification to other forensic practitioners.

Forensic Human Identification Examination in Mortuaries is a training tool created to show why comprehensive examination of unidentified bodies is necessary. Activities include observing, documenting, photographing, fingerprinting, conducting dental examinations, performing X-rays and collecting samples. The aim is to ensure that identification will be possible using a multidisciplinary approach in the future, regardless of the state or condition of the body. All unidentified human remains should undergo examination prior to their interim or final burial. The training tool also addresses the importance of showing dignity and respect in the examination process, highlights the importance of engaging with families of missing persons to obtain the personal information needed for identification, and emphasizes the authorities’ responsibility to protect data and samples.

The training tool has been created to inform first- and secondary-response practitioners to follow a systematic approach. It is also aimed at students in law, health, forensic, policing and disaster management faculties; police, civil defense and military colleges; and staff and volunteers working for civil society organizations who participate in the recovery and management of the dead and need to understand the role and functions of the medicolegal system – a system which benefits from professional recovery efforts and death scene management, and is seriously compromised by poor practices. The training video comprises 14 chapters that can be individually shown to meet training curricula and subject-matter instruction and discussions.

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Forensic Manager Stephen Fonseca discusses DNA profiling

Africa regional forensic manager for the International Committee of the Red Cross, Stephen Fonseca, joins On The Move in studio to speak about DNA profiling and forensics in the humanitarian efforts environment.