British judge pushes for everyone in Britain to be added to the DNA
database; another step towards total surveillance and control, if
implemented.

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A 'chilling' proposal for a universal DNA database

By Nigel Morris, Home Affairs Correspondent

Published: 06 September 2007


A civil liberties storm erupted yesterday after a senior judge called for the
genetic details of every person in Britain, and all visitors to the country, 
to be added to the national DNA database. Critics warned that the
"chilling" 
move would infringe privacy, be hugely impractical and have only a marginal 
impact on crime.

Downing Street and the Home Office, which have been accused of moving Britain
towards a surveillance society, distanced themselves from Lord Justice 
Sedley's controversial suggestion without entirely ruling it out.

About 4.1 million samples are already on the database, almost 7 per cent 
of the population and far more than in any other Western country.

Police can take DNA from anyone arrested, regardless of whether they are
eventually charged.

But Sir Stephen Sedley, one of the most experienced Court of Appeal judges,
protested that there were "indefensible" anomalies in the system,
including disproportionate numbers of people from ethnic minorities on the
database.

He said: "We have a situation where if you happen to have been in the hands 
of the police, your DNA is permanently on record and if you haven't, it isn't."

The judge told the BBC that the remedy could be to place every person on
the database, as well as the 32 million annual foreign visitors to the
country, for the "absolutely rigorously restricted purpose of crime
detection and prevention".

He acknowledged that the creation of a universal database had very serious
implications, but argued that it ultimately led to a fairer system.

Tony Blair said last year that he could see no reason why the DNA of
everyone should not ultimately be kept on record.

Gordon Brown's official spokesman said the Government had no plans to
introduce a compulsory database, and stressed the logistical and
bureaucratic problems, and the civil liberties concerns, surrounding such a
move.

[...]

Full article at " The Independent" UK 
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2934322.ece


Cheers, Steve..

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