Home Office u-turn on DNA retention

Regular readers will be aware that ever since this blog started just over a month ago, we have been campaigning against the retention of the DNA of innocent people on the national DNA database.

First we exposed the fact that the timings the Home Office had used for keeping the DNA of those charged, but not convicted of a crime was based on incomplete research.

Then Alex detailed our government's failure to abide by the European Court of Human Rights ruling preventing the retention of innocent people's DNA.  

Well today we can bring you the news that the Home Office has announced that its plan to keep the DNA profiles of those arrested – but never convicted of a crime – for between six and 12 years depending on the seriousness of the offence has been dropped from the policing and crime bill that is going through parliament.

A Home Office spokesman said:

"We have now completed a public consultation on proposals to ensure the right people are on the database as well as considering when people should come off.

"The Government will take the most expedient route to address the issue as soon as possible in order to comply with the European Court's judgment."

This is great news. The Government had been deliberately foot-dragging on this issue because they didn’t want to accept the consequences of having unanimously lost the European case.

The DNA of innocent people shouldn’t be retained on any database. The Court so ruled: the Government has finally been forced accepted it.

What we need to see now is prompt action to remove innocent people already on the database – many of whom have been waiting and campaigning for this news for years.

By Dylan Sharpe