Seminar series on genetics, technology, security and justice. Crossing, contesting and comparing boundaries

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Security concerns - about crime, terrorism, mass death atrocities and disasters - are a key driver for the development of new technologies, and human genetics research has played an important contribution here. DNA technologies provide vital resources for the identification of human remains and the production of information that can help to provide evidence in complex crimes. Sometimes, new forensic technologies have been adopted rapidly while their adequate regulation has been delayed until, in specific instances, unintended uses and impacts have emerged after deployment (e.g. indefinite storage of DNA samples from children in criminal DNA databanks). In other cases, extensive legislative deliberations have preceded, and sometimes rejected, technology implementation. There is a need to collate existing knowledge about the opportunities and challenges that accompany the adoption of forensic genetic technologies to ensure that they respect privacy and human dignity.Three linked observations will shape the focus of the seminar series. (1) Comparing DNA uses in security and health contexts: Seminars will identify differences in aims, responsibilities, obligations, and underlying values between the two domains of security and health. For example, whilst issues of informed consent may be central to the use of genetics in healthcare and health insurance, justice and security contexts prioritise speedy identification of dangerous offenders, the production of credible evidence in court, or the unequivocal identification of victims. This prepares participants for the following work.(2) Identifying issues in the use of medical data in security contexts: Seminars will explore the actual and potential issues that arise when medical data become available to security efforts via the use of novel forensic genetic technologies. Forensic uses of DNA have so far consisted of matching samples from crime scenes, unidentified persons, or volunteers, with existing DNA profiles (e.g. on a DNA database). Novel technologies are anticipated to provide much more information about the donor of a sample, for example their appearance, age, even behaviour. This can impact on the way society understands and treats health data, especially when information is vital in the face of serious criminal, terrorist or mass disaster threats. Seminars will also explore how such novel technologies have already been used, and compare the legal and ethical contexts of their application.(3) Comparing uses of forensic genetic technologies across countries: DNA technologies and data are increasingly used across national borders. National variation in criminal laws, privacy legislation and police practices render this process very complex. For example, there are differences in who can be asked to give a DNA sample by police forces. Seminars will, by inviting leading scholars from Europe and the USA, compare practices and public and professional debates across a variety of jurisdictions. The development of good practice in the UK can be informed by learning from experience elsewhere, and expectations and misunderstandings in the cross-border use of these technologies can be addressed.The seminars will bring together academic researchers, policy makers and practitioners from policing organisations, commercial forensic service providers, public sector organisations and civil society groups, in the UK and abroad, to discuss how such technologies can be used to support security while respecting freedom. A network of those involved will be established to disseminate existing and to design new research to inform UK policy and practice on the uses of genetic information to address the societal challenges of justice and security.