Heal or investigate: the ethical dilemma of the duality of roles in legal medicine

Introduction: Medical ethics has evolved from Hippocratic paternalism toward modern «principlism». Its intersection with legal medicine creates a duality of roles where the physician must balance clinical duties with the demands of the justice system.Objective: to describe the historical and contemporary foundations of medical ethics, analyzing the tensions and emerging ethical challenges in forensic practice.Development: Unlike the therapeutic role, the forensic expert serves judicial interests, which limits confidentiality and prioritizes principles such as truthfulness and impartiality. Contemporary practice faces challenges in documenting torture, international standardization through protocols like Istanbul or PERFORM-P, and the need for greater ethical support in forensic psychiatry.Conclusions: Forensic ethics is viable if based on objectivity and respect for persons. It is imperative to harmonize international standards and strengthen specialized training to ensure justice and scientific credibility.