The role of forensic medicine practices in the development of human rights

Human rights are fundamental rights and freedoms that people have just because they are human. All people benefit equally from these rights, regardless of religion, language, race or gender. Rights such as the right to life, the right to freedom of thought and expression, the right to be equal before the law, the right to education, the right to health, the right to a fair trial are fundamental human rights accepted all over the world and are protected by universal legal rules. The acquisition of the aforementioned rights is a phenomenon that needs to be examined historically. Because human beings did not get these rights easily, a great price has been paid for this cause. For this reason, these rights are guaranteed by national and international laws and conventions all over the world today. Forensic medicine, which is carried out in cooperation with medicine and law and which is a common working area, has a very important place in the fight against human rights violations. In this study, a total of 46 court decisions, including 39 judgments of the Individual Application Decision of the Constitutional Court and 7 judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, were examined. In addition, a literature review on the subject was also conducted. In the reviewed decisions; the right to life, the prohibition of torture, the prohibition of ill-treatment, the right to a fair trial, the right to protect and develop one's material and spiritual existence, the prohibition of treatment incompatible with human dignity, the freedom of expression and the press, the right to freedom and security, the right to organize assembly and demonstration marches, and the right to an effective application found to be violated. The effect of forensic medicine practices on national and international court decisions in the research has been discussed and thus the role of forensic medicine practices in the development of human rights has been examined. Key words: Forensic medicine, human rights, violation, war