Law Commons^™

Development Of A Dna Database In Ireland — Assessing The Proposed Legislation, Liz Campbell

Liz Campbell

The collection and retention of DNA samples are seen universally as crucial for purposes of criminal investigation and prosecution, as a means of excluding innocent suspects, and of exonerating the wrongfully convicted. However, there is less consistency across jurisdictions regarding whose DNA should be obtained by the state and for how long it should be stored. The need for a measured approach in this context is underlined by the “exceptionalism” of genetic material, given the depth and sensitivity of the information contained within, and the potential for “function creep”, whereby state powers insidiously increase and data gathered for one purpose …