Citizens'
Inquiry Calls for more Public Information and more Oversight of National
DNA Database
The police National DNA Database should be placed
under the control of an independent statutory authority. And there
should be a vigorous nationwide information campaign to explain why DNA
samples are taken, how they are used and why they are retained.
These are two of the key recommendations in a report published on Wednesday
30th July from an independent Citizens’ Inquiry instigated by the
Human Genetics Commission (HGC) in collaboration with the ESRC Genomics
Policy and Research Forum in Edinburgh and the Policy, Ethics and Life
Sciences Research Centre (PEALS) in Durham and Newcastle. The majority
of the funding for the project was provided by the Department for Innovation,
Universities and Skills’ Sciencewise Programme and the Wellcome Trust.
The Inquiry was conducted in Birmingham and Glasgow earlier this year
with thirty people in two linked panels. They were able to call
witnesses, take evidence and direct their own research over a six-week
period.
Alice Maynard, chair of the working group set up by the HGC to commission
the Inquiry, said:
'We wanted to hear the public's views on the development of the national
DNA database – now with more than four million people recorded on
it – and, in particular, whether storing the DNA profiles of victims
and suspects who are not charged or are subsequently acquitted is justified
by the need to fight crime.
'We made a deliberate decision to recruit a diverse panel with a significant
black and ethnic minority membership so that we could hear from a wide
spectrum of people and especially those whose opinions are not often heard.
'They did not speak with one voice – but we did not expect that they
would. Their report gives us a rich and valuable balance of views from
which the HGC can proceed to a wider national consultation before we produce
our own report to Government.'
The Citizens’ report concludes that there is a need for the National
DNA Database to be put on an independent statutory footing at one remove
from Government and the Police. Most participants, although not all, felt
that it would not be practical or desirable to have the whole population
registered on the database, however.
Other majority recommendations included:
* People who are acquitted should have their names removed from the database.
* People providing DNA samples at police stations should have a clear
explanation of why this is being done and what it means for them.
* There should be special arrangements for situations where DNA samples
have to be taken by force.
* People providing samples should not have their ethnicity recorded.
The release of the Citizens’ Inquiry’s conclusions marks the
beginning of a new phase of information gathering and broader consultation
for the HGC, which will all contribute to the development of a final report,
to be published in early 2009. Specific consultation questions, formulated
in the light of the outcomes of the Citizens’ Inquiry, can be viewed,
and responses submitted, via the HGC website: http://www.hgc.gov.uk.
ACPO comment on Human Genetics Commission Citizens Inquiry into the
forensic use of DNA and the National DNA database
In response to the HGC’s Citizens Inquiry into the forensic use of
DNA and the national DNA database, Chris Sims, ACPO lead on forensic science
and Chief Constable Staffordshire Police said:
'The national DNA database is an invaluable tool for investigators, both
in identifying and eliminating suspects in crime investigations, and in
contributing evidence leading to the detection of crime. Many of those
cases have involved violent offences including murder or rape, brought
to justice sometimes many years after crimes have been committed.
'The science around the use of DNA evidence in criminal investigations
is still developing and, used appropriately, promises to continue making
a huge contribution in bringing criminals to justice. ACPO welcomes public
debate around the development of the national DNA database which can play
an important part in ensuring the public understand and are confident
that the DNA database is used in a way which is both effective and proportionate.
'The national DNA database ethics group has been set up to provide independent
advice on ethical issues to Ministers and the national DNA database strategy
board. It recently released its first annual report and recommendations,
which deal with many of the areas covered by the Citizen’s Inquiry.
The DNA ethics group also provides external oversight of governance and
use of the DNA database, without compromising its operational effectiveness
as a tool established and used by the police to investigate and detect
crime.'
