The right to appeal in cases of forensic autopsies

The decision to carry out forensic autopsies is frequently made to determine the reasons of the death, especially in cases of non- natural death. In Switzerland, the judge strictly controls the authorisation to conduct forensic autopsies and the possibility to appeal against such a decision remains limited. This article aims to analyse the legal framework that enables appeals against a decision to conduct a forensic autopsy, taking into account the jurisprudence from the High Court of Switzerland (Tribunal Federal) and the European Court of Human Rights. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.