Professor Patrice MANGIN President of the XVlth Congress of the International Academy of Legal Medicine and Social Medicine The International Academy of Legal Medicine and Social Medicine was founded in 1938 in Bonn. The motive for founding the Academy was to promote associating and confronting on an international background the scientific research work produced in the various domains dealing with the Legal and Social Medicine. As first presi dent of the International Academy of Legal Medicine and Social Medicine, Professor Knud Sand from Copenhagen, assisted by colleagues of the Praesidium appointed as national representatives, succeeded in gathering together nearly the whole aca demic people involved in Legal and Social Medicine. Thus one year later, in 1939, The Academy became a worldwide institution of 450 members from thirty nations. After the war, what had been before of considerable interest for the progress of the knowledge and techniques in Legal Medicine remained again a pressing necessity leading to the second meeting of the Academy in 1947 in Brussels under the presi dency of Professor De Laet. Since then the meetings of the Academy followed one another every three years. At this point, I would like to thank all the past presidents of the Academy and in particular Professor Roche and Professor Andre for their contribution without which the Academy would not be what it is presently."