Legal and Ethical Aspects of Medicine — MCQs

Legal and Ethical Aspects of Medicine Indian Medical PG Practice Questions and MCQs

Question 291: In civil negligence, onus of proof lies on -

A. Police not below the level of sub inspector
B. Judicial first degree magistrate
C. Patients (Correct Answer)
D. Doctor

Explanation: ***Patients*** - In civil negligence cases, the **onus of proof** (burden of proof) generally lies with the **plaintiff**, who is the patient (or their legal representatives) alleging negligence. - The patient must demonstrate that the doctor owed a **duty of care**, breached that duty, and this breach directly caused their **injury** or harm. *Police not below the level of sub inspector* - The police are primarily involved in **criminal investigations** and maintaining law and order, not typically in initiating civil negligence claims or bearing the burden of proof in such cases. - Their role in medical matters would usually be restricted to investigating potential **criminal acts**, such as severe assault or malpractice leading to death, rather than civil negligence. *Judicial first degree magistrate* - A magistrate is a **judicial officer** who presides over minor legal proceedings and preliminary matters, primarily in criminal cases. - Magistrates are members of the judiciary and are responsible for **adjudicating** cases, not for initiating or proving negligence claims themselves. *Doctor* - While the doctor is the **defendant** in a medical negligence case, they do not bear the initial **onus of proof** to show they were not negligent. - The doctor may have to present evidence to **rebut** the patient's claims, but the primary burden remains on the patient to establish negligence.

Question 292: Unreasonable conduct of a patient, combined with a doctor's negligence, contributes to:

A. Contributory negligence (Correct Answer)
B. Corporate negligence
C. Civil negligence
D. Criminal negligence

Explanation: ***Contributory negligence*** * When a patient's **unreasonable conduct** contributes to their own injury, it is termed **contributory negligence**. * This legal doctrine can **limit or bar recovery** for damages even if a doctor's negligence was also present. *Corporate negligence* * This refers to the **liability of a healthcare organization** for its own acts of negligence. * It primarily involves the hospital's duties to its patients, such as **proper credentialing of staff** or maintaining safe facilities, rather than patient conduct. *Civil negligence* * This is a broad term for negligence that results in **harm to another person**, leading to a civil lawsuit. * While a doctor's negligence falls under civil negligence, the specific scenario of a patient's unreasonable conduct contributing to harm points to the more precise term of **contributory negligence**. *Criminal negligence* * This involves a **reckless disregard for the safety of others** that goes beyond ordinary carelessness. * It is a more severe form of negligence that typically results in **criminal charges**, not just civil liability, and does not involve patient conduct as a contributing factor.

Question 293: Punishment of Perjury is given by

A. 193 IPC (Correct Answer)
B. 197 IPC
C. 198 IPC
D. 191 IPC

Explanation: **193 IPC** - **Section 193 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)** specifically deals with the punishment for **giving false evidence** (perjury) in a judicial proceeding or fabricating false evidence. - It prescribes punishment, which can include rigorous imprisonment and fines, for those found guilty of **perjury**. *197 IPC* - **Section 197 IPC** deals with issuing or signing a **false certificate**. - While related to falsehoods, it specifically pertains to official certificates and not the act of giving false testimony in general or fabricating evidence that falls under perjury. *198 IPC* - **Section 198 IPC** pertains to using a **false certificate** as true. - This section focuses on the act of using a previously issued false certificate, rather than the act of creating the false evidence or giving false testimony itself. *191 IPC* - **Section 191 IPC** defines what constitutes **"giving false evidence,"** which is the underlying act of perjury. - However, it defines the offense, while **Section 193 IPC** prescribes the **punishment** for that defined offense.

Question 294: False statement regarding Red Cross sign:

A. Punishable to use it without permission
B. Can be used by doctors and ambulances (Correct Answer)
C. Used by members of Red Cross
D. Can be used by army medical services

Explanation: ***Can be used by doctors and ambulances*** - The Red Cross emblem is a **protective symbol** under international humanitarian law, primarily reserved for military medical services in armed conflict and national Red Cross/Red Crescent societies. - Its use by general doctors and ambulances in everyday situations is generally **not permitted** unless they are operating under the direct authority of a national Red Cross/Red Crescent society or in a designated conflict zone for humanitarian aid. *Punishable to use it without permission* - The **misuse** or unauthorized use of the Red Cross emblem is a **serious offense** under international and national laws. - Such misuse can lead to **penalties** because it undermines the protective value of the emblem and can endanger humanitarian workers. *Used by members of Red Cross* - The Red Cross emblem is the **official symbol** of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. - It is appropriately used by members, personnel, and volunteers of **national Red Cross societies** and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to identify their humanitarian work. *Can be used by army medical services* - In times of **armed conflict**, the Red Cross emblem serves as a **protective sign** for military medical personnel and establishments. - This use signifies their **neutrality** and humanitarian role, protecting them from attack under the **Geneva Conventions**.

Question 295: Medical etiquette is related to:

A. Legal obligations of doctors
B. Professional guidelines for doctors
C. Courtesy observed between doctors (Correct Answer)
D. Ethical principles guiding doctors

Explanation: ***Courtesy observed between doctors*** - **Medical etiquette** refers to the code of conduct and conventional rules governing **professional courtesy and behavior between medical practitioners**. - It encompasses the proper way doctors should interact with their **professional colleagues**, including referral practices, respecting each other's patients, and maintaining professional dignity. - This is the classical and specific definition of medical etiquette as taught in forensic medicine and medical jurisprudence. *Professional guidelines for doctors* - This term is **too broad and vague** as it could encompass ethics, etiquette, legal obligations, and clinical protocols. - While etiquette is part of professional conduct, this option lacks the specificity that defines medical etiquette as **interpersonal courtesy among doctors**. *Legal obligations of doctors* - These relate to **medical jurisprudence** and include legally binding duties like maintaining confidentiality, obtaining informed consent, and following medicolegal procedures. - Legal obligations are enforced by law, whereas etiquette deals with **conventional professional courtesy**, not legal mandates. *Ethical principles guiding doctors* - **Medical ethics** encompasses broader moral principles like beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice. - Ethics provides the philosophical and moral framework for medical practice, while etiquette is specifically about **conventional rules of professional behavior and courtesy** between doctors.

Question 296: Sections 312 to 316 deal with:

A. Kidnapping and abduction
B. Abetment to suicide
C. Causing miscarriage (Correct Answer)
D. Causing grievous hurt

Explanation: ***Causing miscarriage*** - Sections 312 to 316 of the **Indian Penal Code (IPC)** specifically deal with offenses related to causing **miscarriage** and injuries to unborn children. - These sections define acts like voluntarily causing a woman with child to miscarry, causing the death of a quick unborn child by an act amounting to culpable homicide, and causing grievous hurt to a child in the womb. *Kidnapping and abduction* - These offenses are covered under **Sections 359 to 374** of the IPC. - **Kidnapping** involves taking someone without consent from lawful guardianship, while **abduction** involves compelling a person to go from one place to another by force or deceit. *Abetment to suicide* - This offense is addressed under **Section 306** of the IPC. - It deals with the act of instigating, encouraging, or assisting someone to commit **suicide**. *Causing grievous hurt* - The definition and punishment for **causing grievous hurt** are found in **Sections 320 to 326B** of the IPC. - **Grievous hurt** is a specific type of serious injury, such as emasculation, permanent privation of the sight of either eye, or fracture or dislocation of a bone.

Question 297: Causing miscarriage is punishable under which IPC:

A. Sec 312 IPC (Correct Answer)
B. Sec 320 IPC
C. Sec 311 IPC
D. Sec 314 IPC

Explanation: ***Sec 312 IPC*** - This section of the Indian Penal Code specifically deals with **causing miscarriage** and outlines the penalties for such acts. - It differentiates between miscarriage caused with or without the **woman's consent**, and also considers if the act is performed in **good faith** to save the woman's life. *Sec 320 IPC* - This section defines "grievous hurt," which includes severe injuries leading to permanent disability or life-threatening conditions. - While miscarriage can be a severe outcome, **Sec 320** focuses on the nature of the injury to the person rather than the specific act of causing miscarriage. *Sec 311 IPC* - This section pertains to **causing miscarriage of a child quick with child** without the consent of the woman and without good faith to save her life. - It carries a harsher punishment than Sec 312 because it involves a fetus that is considered more developed and near viability. *Sec 314 IPC* - This section deals with the **death caused by an act done with intent to cause miscarriage**. - It applies when a person commits an act to cause miscarriage, and as a result, the woman dies, even if the intent was not to cause her death.

Question 298: The onus of proof in civil negligence case against a doctor lies with:

A. Hospital administration
B. Patient (Correct Answer)
C. Doctor
D. Medical board

Explanation: ***Patient*** - In civil negligence cases, the **plaintiff** (the patient, in this context) bears the **onus of proof**, meaning they must demonstrate that the doctor was negligent. - The patient must establish **duty of care**, **breach of that duty**, **causation** of injury due to the breach, and actual **damages**. *Hospital administration* - The hospital administration might be named as a co-defendant, but the primary burden of proving negligence against the doctor still rests with the patient. - Their liability would usually be **vicarious** (for the actions of employees) or for institutional failures, not for proving individual doctor negligence. *Doctor* - The doctor is the **defendant** in a civil negligence case and is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. - The doctor's role is to **defend** against the allegations, not to prove their own innocence of negligence. *Medical board* - A medical board is a **regulatory body** responsible for licensing and discipline, not for adjudicating civil negligence claims. - They conduct investigations into professional misconduct, but this is separate from the **burden of proof** in a civil lawsuit.

Question 299: In criminal cases, conduct money is paid by:

A. Court
B. Judge
C. No conduct money is given (Correct Answer)
D. Opposing party

Explanation: ***No conduct money is given*** - In most criminal law systems, **witnesses compelled to testify** by the prosecution are generally not entitled to conduct money. - The state bears the cost of investigation and prosecution, and witnesses are expected to cooperate in the interest of justice. - This is in contrast to civil cases where the party calling the witness typically pays conduct money for their attendance. *Court* - The court itself does not typically pay conduct money to witnesses in criminal cases. - While it oversees the legal process, the financial aspects of witness appearance are usually handled by the parties involved or the state. *Judge* - A **judge** does not personally disburse funds for conduct money. - The judge's role is to preside over the trial and ensure due process, not to manage financial transactions related to witnesses. *Opposing party* - The opposing party (typically the defense) also does not pay conduct money to witnesses testifying for the prosecution in a criminal case. - If the defense calls its own witnesses, their appearance costs would be a matter for the defense, but this differs significantly from the concept of conduct money in civil cases.

Question 300: Professional death sentence is given by:

A. Central Health Ministry
B. Indian Medical Association
C. State Medical Council
D. National Medical Commission (Correct Answer)

Explanation: ***National Medical Commission*** - A "professional death sentence" refers to the **permanent revocation of a medical license**, which prevents a doctor from practicing medicine. - The **National Medical Commission (NMC)**, established under the NMC Act 2019, is the **apex regulatory body** for medical practice in India with ultimate authority over disciplinary matters. - Under **Section 30 of the NMC Act**, the NMC has the power to impose penalties including **permanent removal from the medical register**, which constitutes the professional death sentence. - While State Medical Councils conduct investigations and initial disciplinary proceedings, the **NMC has appellate and final jurisdiction** over license revocation. *State Medical Council* - State Medical Councils register practitioners and handle primary disciplinary actions within their respective states. - They conduct initial investigations and can impose temporary suspensions or penalties. - However, they do **not have the ultimate authority** to permanently revoke licenses; such decisions fall under the NMC's appellate jurisdiction. *Central Health Ministry* - The **Central Health Ministry** formulates national health policies and oversees healthcare planning and funding. - It does not directly regulate individual medical practitioners or have authority to revoke medical licenses. - Its role is administrative and policy-oriented, not disciplinary. *Indian Medical Association* - The **IMA** is a voluntary professional body and advocacy organization for doctors. - It promotes ethical practices and represents doctors' interests but has **no legal authority** to grant or revoke medical licenses. - It is not a regulatory body under Indian law.

Practice by Chapter

Medical Jurisprudence Fundamentals

Practice Questions

Medical Ethics Principles

Practice Questions

Consent in Medical Practice

Practice Questions

Confidentiality and Privacy

Practice Questions

Medical Negligence

Practice Questions

Professional Misconduct

Practice Questions

Rights and Duties of Medical Practitioners

Practice Questions

Consumer Protection Laws

Practice Questions

Medical Documentation

Practice Questions

Expert Witness Testimony

Practice Questions

Ethical Dilemmas in Medicine

Practice Questions

International Medical Ethics Codes

Practice Questions

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