News and Politics | December 04, 2008 | 3 comments

Britain's DNA database breaches human rights, European court rules

source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/dec/04/law-genetics

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The European Court of human rights has ruled that the UK keeping DNA records of innocent people on a criminal register is a breach of article eight of the Human Rights Convention which protects private and family life. Britain's police forces may be forced to destroy the DNA details they have on hundreds of thousands of people they have already collected.

Not surprisingly, nanny state officials like Jacqui Smith and police chiefs around the country were disappointed by the ruling and warned that it would be harder to investigate crimes without the DNA details.

Thank you European court for forcing officials in this country to make the distinction between criminals and innocent people.
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3 comments // Britain's DNA database breaches human rights, European court rules

  • ClareW
    • 0
      ClareW  

    • "keeping DNA records of innocent people on a criminal register"
      well of course that's a breach of the ECHR! The court has made another positive judgment, and thankfully it hasn't been swayed by the increasingly Orwellian officials in this country.

    • 4 years ago
  • mattbrawn
    • 0
      mattbrawn  

    • Good on you European Court, I think you made a wise choice.

      For some reason I have images of Jacqui Smith getting home last night and having a proper little strop about them saying keeping the DNA on file breaches human rights.

    • 4 years ago
  • masliko
    • 0
      masliko  

    • Once you are on their database you are NEVER coming off,no matter what they say.

      DNA database has major deficiencies: review

      Posted Tue May 27, 2003 1:40pm AEST

      An independent review has found major deficiencies with the Federal Government's national DNA database or Crimtrac system.

      The Government's Crimtrac system was set up to allow state, territory and federal law enforcement agencies to use and share DNA material.

      But the system is not up and running yet and only one jurisdiction, New South Wales, has so far loaded profiles on to the national database.

      The Ombudsman and Privacy Commissioner have also discovered that DNA "SAMPLES ARE NOT ACTUALLY BEING DESTROYED" by authorities but are retained with their identification codes removed.

      They have recommended destruction occur as soon as the statutory time limits expire.

      The review has also found that better legal protections are needed so DNA material cannot be used for purposes other than criminal identification.

      http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/05/27/865470.htm

    • 4 years ago
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