Keeping DNA samples from people with no criminal convictions is a breach of their human rights, a court ruled today._______________________________________________________________The verdict from the European Court of Human Rights could force the Government to remove the DNA details of hundreds of thousands of Britons from the database.
Currently a total of about 4.5 million names are held on the list for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Scotland already destroys DNA samples taken during criminal investigations from people who are not charged or who are later acquitted of alleged offences.
Today the Strasbourg judges said keeping the DNA of innocent people on a criminal register amounted to discrimination and a breach of the 'right to respect for private life' safeguarded by the Human Rights Convention.
The result is a victory for two Britons who have been fighting to change the law after police insisted on retaining their DNA records.
Michael Marper, 45, was arrested in March 2001 and charged with harassing his partner, but the case was dropped three months later after the two were reconciled. He had no previous convictions.
From MailOnline
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