Genetic Testing and the Criminal Law

Genetic Testing and the Criminal Law is a unique international treatment of the dynamic and established criminal investigation technique of DNA testing. This book is unique as it gathers together chapters dealing with DNA testing in 12 countries. Each chapter deals with the specific criminal law of the jurisdiction in its interaction with the expanding use of DNA testing in criminal investigations and trials. No previous work has included such an extensive comparative study in this important area. Collectively, this book emphasises the need for the law to respond to scientific developments in a thoughtful and well-reasoned manner. Several contributors emphasise concerns relating to the reliability of DNA evidence in criminal trials, and the privacy and civil liberties issues surrounding the collection of DNA samples from individuals and their storage. The chapters cover the criminal law of the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa, Canada Italy, Finland, Argentina and Denmark. The chapters provide valuable accounts not only of the use of genetic testing in the criminal law but also of the development of the law in these jurisdictions.

Author Biography

Don Chalmers is Professor of Law and Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Tasmania. Previously serving as Chair of the Australian Health Ethics Committee, Law Reform Commissioner for Tasmania, he is currently Chair of the Commonwealth Gene Technology Ethics Committee, a board member of the Australian Institute of Family Studies and Director of the Centre for Law and Genetics.