DNA Fingerprinting in UK the Research Proposal

The privacy concerns form the bulk of the negative impact of DNA fingerprinting on United Kingdom society, and they are not at all unfounded. Several schools have implemented locks and record keeping mechanisms that depend upon a child's fingerprints (traditional, not DNA) (Edinformatics). These fingerprint mechanisms are used to track money for school meals, to replace library cards, and to alow access to school buildings and rooms in an attempt to cut down on the rate of skipping school -- and the British government is allowed to collect and maintain fingerprint records without parental consent (Edinformatics). There are serious concerns that the relatively new technology of DNA fingerprinting might also be implemented along the same lines, without the right of citizens to deny consent, leading to a DNA database that includes every child who attends school in the United Kingdom.

There are also many positive impacts that the technology has had on UK society. Not only has DNA fingerprinting allowed many cases to be solved that would otherwise go un-prosecuted and unclosed, and many more to be solved faster and more conclusively than they otherwise would be, but Dr. Jeffreys believes that the near future will allow for near-instantaneous DNA fingerprinting results using portable units at the scene of a crime (Jeffreys 2005, pp. 1038-9). Jeffreys also sees the same developments that cause privacy concerns for others as future positive applications of DNA fingerprinting, including tracking credit card accounts and providing travel security with a passport-like function (Jeffreys 2005, pp. 1039). Likewise, the National DNA Database established in 1995 is the largest database of its kind in the world with 2.7 million separate records, which serves as both a specific deterrent to criminals and a testament to the overall strength of the United Kingdom's law enforcement (Home Office 2006, pp. 4). In addition, though there is no direct economic benefit from the use of DNA fingerprinting in the filed of criminal justice, the medical industry and private labs have benefited enormously from the technological advances made, improving the economy overall (Henderson 2009).

IV. Moral and Ethical Issues of DNA Fingerprinting

Several lawsuits have already taken place in the United Kingdom regarding privacy matters and the unlimited law enforcement and military organizations have to the National DNA Database, spurred in part by Prime Minister Tony Blair's 2000 announcement that the DNA expansion program would contain "virtually the entire active criminal population" (Wallace 2006). There are fears that this could lead to unnecessary arrests and even wrongful convictions, as anyone in the database even for a simple detention could possibly be brought into an investigation simply on the basis of an eyelash or drop of saliva being found at the scene.

These fears were increased in 2003 when the government of the United Kingdom determined that DNA records could be retained indefinitely, increasing the likelihood that an individual in the National DNA Database for something as insignificant as disorderly conduct as a teenager could be brought into an investigation for a much more serious crime later in life (Linacre 2003). The line between protecting society and protecting civil rights has always been a contentious one, and DNA fingerprinting is yet one more technological advancement that demands a clear delineation between the two. This demand, unfortunately, is not being adequately met according to many. Civil rights seem to be losing out in favor of law enforcement's direct priorities, with both Welsh and English laws allowing for the retrieval, profiling, and permanent retention of DNA samples from absolutely every person arrested, without requiring consent or even a charge to be filed against the arrested individual (Wallace 2006).

V. Conclusion

The technological advancements made in DNA fingerprinting since its first discovery and use in the mid-1980s have made the concerns regarding privacy and civil rights issues far more pressing than first imagined. At the same time, the many uses of DNA profiling both within the field of criminal justice and in the private sector has made the technology invaluable and highly lucrative. One thing is certain -- the technology is not going away, but a more careful use of DNA fingerprinting technology and legislation restricting its application might…