6th Caribbean Medicolegal and Forensic Symposium

“Courtroom Examination of Bodies of Evidence: Trials and Errors.”

Presented by

the University of Ottawa Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association (EORLA)
The Caribbean Medicolegal Society

Time and Location

Date: November 18 and 19, 2022

Location: Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre

1B Lady Young Road

Port of Spain, Trinidad

Time: 08:30-17:00 Atlantic Time

Online Registration

This two (2) day symposium will provide Continuing Professional Development/Continuing Medical Education credits for medicolegal practitioners who are involved in medicolegal death investigation, clinical forensic medicine, the criminal justice system and civil litigation.

Participation is open to all specialist and non-specialist medical practitioners, postgraduate doctors in training and undergraduate medical students; forensic odontologists and general dental practitioners; undergraduate and postgraduate dental students; lawyers (prosecutors, criminal defence and civil litigation attorneys); undergraduate and postgraduate law students, magistrates; coroners; members of the judiciary; homicide investigators/other police officers; crime scene examiners; forensic scientists, undergraduate and postgraduate forensic science students; criminologists; forensic psychologists; social workers; nurses; medical laboratory technologists and autopsy technicians.

Symposium Programme

The content of the programme will focus on the necessity of having qualified practitioners in all fields of medicolegal death investigation who adhere to international standards of practice which are maintained by implemented quality assurance measures, to ensure the entry of only high quality, valid, evidence-based expert written medicolegal and forensic science reports with appropriated oral expert witness testimony to prevent miscarriages of justice that we inevitably occur otherwise.

Presentations will be delivered by faculty of professionals who are well-respected, high profile, local, regional and international academic/stakeholder practitioners, who were selected from across the international spectrum.

The individual presentations will be delivered by an invited cohort of subject matter experts that will include the following:

Dr Michael Pollanen, Chief Forensic Pathologist - Ontario Forensic Pathology Service
Dr Kenneth Obenson, Chief Forensic Pathologist, New Brunswick, Canada
Dr Roger Mitchell, Chair - Department of Pathology, Howard University College of Medicine; former Chief Medical Examiner, OCME Washington DC, USA
Dr Gary Collins, Chief Medical Examiner, State of Delaware, USA
Dr Sasha Breland, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, OCME Washington, DC, USA
Dr Jan Gorniak, Forensic Pathologist, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA and former Chief Medical Examiner - Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office
Dr Catherine Morris, Forensic and Cardiovascular Pathologist, University of Michigan
Ms Renee Cummings, Criminologist and Artificial Intelligence Expert
Dr Alfredo Walker, Vice Chair and Director of Education, Dept of PALM, uOttawa
Justice Kathy Ann Waterman-Latchoo, Criminal Division, Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago
Ms Sophia Chote SC, President of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago
Mrs Tricia Hudlin-Cooper, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Trinidad and Tobago
Ms Hasine Shaikh, Director of the Public Defender’s Department, Trinidad and Tobago
Ms Theresa Hadad, Attorney-at-Law, Athena Chambers, Trinidad and Tobago
Ms Sejilla McDowall, Director of Public Prosecutions, St Vincent and the Grenadines National Prosecution Service
Ms Rene Baptiste CMG, President of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Bar Association.
Ms Fernanda Henry, Director -Saint Lucia Forensic Science Laboratory
Ms Joy Quinlan, Forensic Analyst (DNA) and Quality Assurance Manager
Mr Gian Cho, Director – Belize National Forensic Service

The draft programme can be reviewed at (hyperlink to be inserted)

CME/CPD Accreditation

The event will be accredited by the Office of Continuing Professional Development (OCPD) of the University of Ottawa and will provide Section 1 RCPSC and/or CFPC Mainpro +CME/CPD Credits from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and the College of Family Practitioners of Canada (CFPC). A Certificate of Attendance will be issued to registered participants who attend. However, certificates with CME/CPD credits will only be issued to those who require it and complete the online speaker and program evaluations through Survey Monkey.

The CME/CPD credits are recognized by the American Medical Association as AMA PRA Category 1 Credits through reciprocal recognition.

It is the responsibility of the participant to understand their regulatory body’s requirements for CME/CPD credits.

Organization	Credits
The College of Family Physicians of Canada	This Group Learning program meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been certified by the Office of Continuing Professional Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa for up to TBD Mainpro+ credits.
Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada	This event is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, approved by the Office of Continuing Professional Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa. You may claim a maximum of TBD hours.
The American Medical Association	Through an agreement between the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Medical Association, physicians may convert Royal College MOC credits to AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. More information on the process to convert Royal College MOC credit to AMA credit is available at American Medical Association website.
European Union of Medical Specialists	Live educational activities occurring in Canada and recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as Accredited Group Learning Activities (Section 1), are deemed by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) eligible for ECMEC®.”

The conference will provide Other Learner Certificates for non-medical attendees and will also state the number of credits accrued.

This Group Learning program meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been certified by the Office of Continuing Professional Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa for up to TBD Mainpro+ credits.

Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada

This event will be an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, approved by the Office of Continuing Professional Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa. You may claim a maximum of TBD hours.

The American Medical Association
Through an agreement between the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Medical Association, physicians may convert Royal College MOC credits to AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. More information on the process to convert Royal College MOC credit to AMA credit is available at American Medical Association website.

European Union of Medical Specialists
Live educational activities occurring in Canada and recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as Accredited Group Learning Activities (Section 1), are deemed by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) eligible for ECMEC®.”
The conference will provide Other Learner Certificates for non-medical attendees and will also state the number of credits accrued.

American Academy of Physician Assistants: AAPA
The AAPA accepts certificates of participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits from organizations accredited by the ACCME. PAs may receive a maximum of TBD AMA PRA Category 1 Credits for completing this activity.

American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI)
The American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators will accept Section 1 RCPSC Mainpro + and AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for medicolegal death investigators.

Validation of Content

The University of Ottawa requires that the educational content of the program be free from bias and conflicts of interest.

Disclosure Policy:
It is the policy of the University of Ottawa to ensure balance, independence; objectivity and scientific rigor are maintained in its continuing medical education programs. Presenters and planning committee members participating in accredited activities are required to disclose any conflicts of interest or financial relationships with “for-profit entities” such as pharmaceutical organizations, medical device companies, communications firm, or other for-profit funders of the program.

The Office of Continuing Professional Development (OCPD) of the University of Ottawa therefore requires that all presenters and members of the planning committee complete a Disclosure of Conflict of Interest form in compliance with Section 24 of the2007 CMA Guidelines for Physicians in Interaction with Industry which states that “CME/CPD organizers and individual physician presenters are responsible for ensuring the scientific validity, objectivity and completeness of CME/CPD activities. Organizers and individual presenters must disclose to the participants at their CME/CPD events any financial affiliations with manufacturers of products mentioned at the event or with manufacturers of competing products.”

Symposium Booklet

A symposium booklet will be developed and circulated in PDF format.

Registration Fees

The applicable registration fee is dependent on the status of the registrant on the date of registration as outlined below. The registration fee will cover the provision of lunches, morning and afternoon snacks on both days.

Designation of Registrant

Early Bird Registration

(by Oct 14, 2022)

Regular Registration

(Oct 14 – Nov 7, 2022)

Late Registration

(Nov 8 – 14, 2022)

Forensic Pathologist

Anatomical Pathologist

Clinical Forensic Medicine

District Medical Officers

Forensic Psychiatrist

Forensic Odontologist

General Dentist

Anthropologist

Forensic Scientist

Police Officer

Crime Scene Examiner

Prosecutor/Crown Counsel

Criminal Defence Lawyer

Magistrate

Coroner

US$200

US$250

US$325

Postgraduate Medical Doctor

Undergraduate Medical Student

Postgraduate Law Student

Undergraduate Law Student

Medical Laboratory Technologist

Autopsy Technician

USD$150

USD$200

USD$250

Withdrawal of registration will be refunded minus a 10% cancellation fee up until November 1^st, 2022. No refund of registration fees will be granted after November 1, 2022

Symposium Hotel Accommodation

A room block of 75 rooms has been secured at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre, Lady Young Road, Port of Spain, Trinidad at negotiated discounted rates as below for November 17- 20, 2022. Participants are required to make their individual hotel room bookings by using the following link: https://group.hilton.com/w9mczz

Or by quoting the event Group Code “EORLA”

All rooms include breakfast.

Room	Rate (Single Occupancy)	Rate (Double Occupancy)
Standard King Bed	US$99	US$109
Double Bedroom	US$109	US$119
King Bed Deluxe	US$119	US$119
Executive King Bedroom	US$159	US$179

The hotel amenities can be reviewed at:

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/poshihh-hilton-trinidad-and-conference-centre/

Enquiries related to hotel accommodation for this event can be directed to

Ms. Natasha La Rode

Sales Manager - Group Sales

Email: natasha.larode@hilton.com

Tel: 1 868 624 3211 ext 6096 (office)

Symposium Reception

A cocktail reception will occur on the evening of Saturday 19 September, 2022. The details of the reception are being worked out and will be shared in due course.

Symposium Directors:

Dr Marie-Joanna Francis MB.BS

Senior Medical Officer

Trinidad and Tobago Police Service

Email:mjfrancisali@gmail.com

Dr. Alfredo E Walker MB.BS, FRCPath, DMJ (Path), MFFLM, MCSFS
Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Eastern Ontario Forensic Pathology Unit

Email:aewalker@eorla.ca

Conference Program Director:

Dr. Alfredo E Walker MBBS, FRCPath, DMJ (Path), MFFLM, MCSFS
Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Eastern Ontario Forensic Pathology Unit