Should the government have the right to retain the DNA of all those arrested? asks Azeem Suterwalla and Sarah Hemingway
When Steve Wright, the Ipswich murderer, was convicted in February as a result of a DNA match, calls went out for a universal DNA database. The theory is that if we are all on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) then crime detection rates will be dramatically enhanced. Of course, the practical difficulties of getting everyone’s DNA on one database, including all visitors to the country, are immense. There are also pressing issues of privacy. Although there are no plans to create a universal database, the UK already has a database five times larger than any other national database and retains the DNA of more people for longer.
INVALUABLE TOOL
DNA is an invaluable investigative tool but where should the line be drawn? What is a proportionate measure to ensure that the database is effective for the purpose of tackling crime without encroaching upon our fundamental right to privacy as afforded by Art 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights
