Establishing a new and unified Point of balance Towards narrowing the extended rights of the states on forensic DNA databases

• Pages: 215-231

Vol. 7 No. 2

July, 2021

Academic Journal of Business, Administration, Law and Social Sciences

IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria

ISSN 2410-3918

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

220

Establishing a new and unied Point of balance

Towards narrowing the extended rights of the states

on forensic DNA databases

Ermal Yzeiraj

University of Tirana, Albania

Artemida Hoxhaj

University of Tirana, Albania

Abstract

The use of forensic DNA databases has raised a lot of concerns and questions about issues like

privacy,datasecurity, andfairness,andalsoabout whoseDNAproles shouldbe retained

ontheDNAdatabase;for howlong;forwhatpurposes,andwhoshouldhaveaccessto,and

oversight of national DNA databases.

While the ‘right to respect for private life’ is a universal accepted right, the standards of its

protection,bythestatesregulatoryframeworksandbythecourts,diersignicantly,because

ofthedierencesinthelegalprovisionsregardingthecollection,storage,anduseofforensic

DNAprole data.Despiteallthesedierences, thestates continueto collaboratewitheach

other,andconstantlyexchangeandshare,theforensicDNAproledatathatthey possessin

their DNA databases.

Statescollect,storeandusethe individual’spersonaldata,withthemainconditionthatthey

shouldhaveor aim alegitimate justication, andthatthey create aproper balance, while

exercisingtheirpowers,inrespecttotheindividual’srighttorespectforprivatelife.Sincethe

beginning,forensicDNAproledataanddatabases,wasgivenbythelegislativebodyofeach

country,so muchimportanceandpowertoward theindividual’sright torespect toprivate

life,onlybecauseofthestrongbeliefthattheforensicDNAprolewasandstillistheultimate

unquestionable scientic tool, and an infallible and totally reliable proof, that could help

resolve every crime and convict even the most cautious criminals. Based in this perception,

theParliamentsinmanydemocratic countries,passedlawsthatjustied theextendedrights

ofthestate incollecting,storingand using(evenexchanging)theforensicDNAprole data

ofindividuals,thus narrowing theindividuals ‘right to respectfor private life’.Accepting

thetrue natureandimportance offorensic DNAprole dataincriminal investigations,by

properlyanalyzingdierentissuesrelatingtotheirintegrity, reliabilityandassociatedrisks,

impliesanewshiftintheactualestablishedbalancebetweenthestatesrightsandindividuals

‘right to respect for private life’.

Keywords: Forensic DNA database, right to respect for private life.

1. Introduction

During these last 30 years, there have been a lot of developments regarding the use

of biometrics 1 in criminal investigations or in tracking and identifying individuals as

theyenterorleavedierentcountriesorastheyusepublicorprivateservices,such

asbanks,computers, workplaces or hospitals.Allthese biometric data are stored

inmanyindependent orinterlinkeddatabases, partofwhich areeventhesocalled

Vol. 7 No. 2

July, 2021

ISSN 2410-3918

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

221

Academic Journal of Business, Administration, Law and Social Sciences

IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria

‘forensicDNAdatabases’,wellestablishednowinmanycountries. 2

Therulesaboutthecollection,storage,anduseoftheDNAprolesdatainforensic

DNAdatabases dier greatlyfrom countrytocountry butin general, theforensic

DNA databases contain records of the so-called ‘risky population’ comprised of

individuals suspected, arrested, accused or convicted for a certain group of crimes,

foranycrime, orevenincaseswheretheyare givenjustapolice warning(orother

sanctions).Structurally,forensicDNAdatabasesstoretwotypesofDNAproles:(i)

DNAprolescollectedfromthecrimescenesand(ii)DNAprolesofthesuspected,

arrested, accused, or convicted individuals. Depending on the answers that the

criminalinvestigatorsare trying toanswerand on theamountand quality of the

DNAavailable,theforensicsmightchoosetoapplydierenttechniquesinextracting,

analyzing,andcomparing the DNA proles.DNA is present inmostcells of our

body,andweleaveatrailofiteverywherewego.DNAcanbeextractedfromseveral

sources such as hair, bone, teeth, saliva, and blood.

The use of forensic DNA databases has raised a lot of concerns and questions about

issueslikeprivacy,datasecurity,andfairness,andalsoaboutwhose DNAproles

shouldberetainedontheDNAdatabase;forhowlong;forwhatpurposes,andwho

should have access to, and oversight of national DNA databases.

While the ‘right to respect for private life’ is a universal accepted right, the

standardsof itsprotection, bythe statesregulatory frameworksand bythe courts,

diersignicantly, becauseof thedierences inthe legalprovisionsregardingthe

collection,storage,anduseofforensicDNAproledata.Despiteallthesedierences,

thestatescontinuetocollaboratewitheachother,andconstantlyexchangeandshare,

theforensicDNAproledatathattheypossessintheirDNAdatabases.

Statescollect,store andusetheindividual’spersonaldata,with themaincondition

thattheyshouldhaveoraimalegitimatejustication,andthattheycreateaproper

balance,whileexercisingtheirpowers,inrespecttotheindividual’srighttorespect

forprivate life.Since thebeginning, forensicDNA proledata anddatabases, was

givenbythelegislativebodyofeachcountry,somuchimportanceandpowertoward

the individual’s right to respect to private life, only because of the strong belief that

theforensicDNAprolewasandstillistheultimateunquestionablescientictool,

and an infallible and totally reliable proof, that could help resolve every crime and

convict even the most cautious criminals. Based in this perception, the Parliaments

inmany democraticcountries,passedlawsthat justiedthe extendedrightsofthe

state in collecting, storing and using (even exchanging) the forensic DNA prole

dataofindividuals,thusnarrowingtheindividuals‘righttorespectforprivatelife’.

Acceptingthetruenatureand importanceofforensic DNAproledataincriminal

 2 For more information about the forensic DNA databases in each country see:

• http://dnapolicyinitiative.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

• http://www.antoniocasella.eu/dnlaw/DNA-data2011.pdf

• https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact

=8&ved=2ahUKEwic3fGb7NvoAhXOQxUIHRtaCz4QFjAEegQIBhAB&url=https%3A

%2F%2Fdnadatabank.forensischinstituut.nl%2Fbinaries%2Fnederlandse-dna-databank%

2Fdocumenten%2Fpublicaties%2F2018%2F11%2F01%2Feuroforgen-inventarisatie-van-

europese-dna-databank-wetgeving%2FReed_and_Syndercombe_Court_2016_Legal_Audit.

pdf&usg=AOvVaw2Kt_aITgeNAbIhvBmZ5loz.