The Department of Forensic Medicine was Established in 1980 in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna as a division under Department of  Pathology and separated as a Department later.

The First Academic Staff Dr.Navaratnam . Saravanapavananthan was appointed as Senior Lecturer in 1980, and Promoted as Professor of Forensic Medicine. He was the only academic staff member until he passed away in June 1992.

The department is located in the ground floor of the south-eastern wing of the faculty building including forensic museum and tutorial room. The Department is actively involved in teaching undergraduate students of the MBBS course. Undergraduate studies in forensic medicine begin in third year (5 th term of medical curriculum and continue to the 11 th term)for bachelor of medical ethics, Death and postmortem, Injuries, Asphyxia, Abuses and Poisoning, Teaching learning activates include lectures (98hr),tutorials (38hr), and Museum (20hr), and clinical appointment. Students are exposed to the JMO office and Autopsy laboratory in Teaching Hospital by clinical appointment for 4weeks.