James Cameron (scientist)
Encyclopedia
James Malcolm Cameron was a British forensic scientist. He was born in Swansea and attended Glasgow High School. After graduating from Glasgow University
, he held appointments in general medicine, general surgery, orthopaedic surgery and paediatric orthopaedics, before specialising in pathology, with a special interest in forensic pathology. He joined the London Hospital Medical College as a lecturer in 1963. He progressed to senior lecturer in 1965 and reader from 1970 and was also senior lecturer at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College from 1971. He succeeded Francis Camps to the Chair of Forensic Medicine in 1973 which he occupied until his retirement in 1992.
Cameron was involved in many high profile investigations including the death of Rudolf Hess
in Spandau Prison in his capacity as Senior Honorary Consultant in Forensic Medicine to the Armed Forces. His testimony at the Lindy Chamberlain
trial in 1982 led to her conviction for the murder of her baby daughter Azaria. Her conviction was overturned in 1988; Cameron's assessment of the evidence had been mistaken, and his conclusions were criticized by Chief Justice Asche in his opinion in Re Conviction of Chamberlain (1988).
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, he held appointments in general medicine, general surgery, orthopaedic surgery and paediatric orthopaedics, before specialising in pathology, with a special interest in forensic pathology. He joined the London Hospital Medical College as a lecturer in 1963. He progressed to senior lecturer in 1965 and reader from 1970 and was also senior lecturer at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College from 1971. He succeeded Francis Camps to the Chair of Forensic Medicine in 1973 which he occupied until his retirement in 1992.
Cameron was involved in many high profile investigations including the death of Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
in Spandau Prison in his capacity as Senior Honorary Consultant in Forensic Medicine to the Armed Forces. His testimony at the Lindy Chamberlain
Lindy Chamberlain
Alice Lynne Chamberlain-Creighton was at the centre of one of Australia's most publicised murder trials, in which she was convicted of killing her baby daughter, Azaria. The conviction was later overturned.-Early life:...
trial in 1982 led to her conviction for the murder of her baby daughter Azaria. Her conviction was overturned in 1988; Cameron's assessment of the evidence had been mistaken, and his conclusions were criticized by Chief Justice Asche in his opinion in Re Conviction of Chamberlain (1988).