I saw this a couple of days ago, but decided to wait until this morning to post it: Law Commission finds flaws in DNA use for criminal investigations, calls for overhaul: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/431333/law-commission-finds-flaws-in-dna-use-for-criminal-investigations-calls-for-overhaul. It’s a more detailed article, but worth the read.
Harry Lock, Reporter
The Law Commission is calling for a radical overhaul of how DNA is obtained, used and retained by police.
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A new report from the commission found the current way DNA is used in criminal investigations ignores human rights values, tikanga Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi.
The review looked into the Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Act 1995, and found there was no clear and robust process which guided police on how to collect, use and store DNA.
Lead commissioner on the review, Donna Buckingham, said: “In 1995 Aotearoa New Zealand became only the second country to establish a legal regime for the use of DNA in criminal investigations.
“But time and technology have moved on and what a tiny amount of DNA can reveal about a person has grown hugely in 25 years.”
The commission has made 193 recommendations in total which would provide clear guidelines to police on how to obtain, use and retain DNA.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/431333/law-commission-finds-flaws-in-dna-use-for-criminal-investigations-calls-for-overhaul
