James Cameron (scientist)

James Malcolm Cameron (1930–2003) 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).

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