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Council’s DNA recommendations endorsed by human rights ruling

10 December 2008

In a landmark ruling, judges at the European Court of Human Rights have endorsed the Council’s recommendations against storing DNA profiles and samples of innocent people on the National DNA Database.

The Court of 17 judges unanimously ruled that keeping the samples and fingerprints of two UK men, who had been arrested but never convicted of any crime, constituted a breach of their human rights. The judgement was based solely on a violation of Article 8 – the right to respect for a private life.

Nuffield Council statement on DNA Database ruling

Press Release

5 December 2008

Two men from Sheffield, known as S and Marper, have won a victory after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that keeping their DNA on the National DNA Database breached their human rights.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics concluded in 2007 that the police should not keep DNA samples of people who have not been convicted until there is clear evidence that this helps tackle crime.