Genetic Identity:National DNA Database : A Communitarian Approach to Criminals' Identification

• Main Author: Nwabuikwu, Christian
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Linköpings universitet, Centrum för tillämpad etik 2006
• Subjects: Administrative law; Förvaltningsrätt
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-6815

Abstract Every new scientific or technological development is often met with reactions, some positive and some negative .Same is true for the advent of any new technological innovations that could be a replacement or new applications of an older one. The advent of DNA Database and the move for its continuous expansion attracts not only Champions but Critics as well .Although the Forensic application of the currently developing DNA profiling for criminals’ identification (DNA Data base), has been accepted as a worthy technological advancement in crime detection, there has not been a unanimous acceptance on its possible expansion to include the entire population (National DNA Database) .The controversy is partly because of the social values which the NDNAD seems to undermine and partly because the NDNAD ,is never a ‘child of legislation’ , in that there is no specific ‘National DNA database Act’ which established the database, and defined what details may be stored in it or how it may be used. Instead, the database was created as a result of The Criminal Justice and Police Order Act 1994, which, though amendment of the Police and Criminal evidence Act 1984 established the condition would allow the database to be created . It is a debate basically on public utility vs private goods. Though the controversy rages, the insistence on NDNAD establishment is solidly backed up by the expectation that the endeavour will give a wealth of information that will be very vital to the society for criminals’ detections and social control. This work based on the communitarian usefulness of the programme, demonstrates that the wealth of social benefits accompanying the NDNAD programme, outweighs the hypothetical fears of having the programme initiated. I argued for the priority of the common well being over the individual good.