Sweden to propose law authorizing DNA samples from crime suspects News
Sweden to propose law authorizing DNA samples from crime suspects

[JURIST] The Swedish government plans to introduce a new law that would require anyone held on reasonable suspicion of a crime to provide a DNA sample to be kept in a national registry. Swedish Justice Minister Thomas Bodstrom [official profile] presented the proposal to the Social Democrats parliamentary group earlier this week, saying the recommended law would "strengthen the legal certainty of judgments – people who are wrongly suspected can quickly be eliminated from an inquiry." Currently, the database lists the DNA results of 3,000 criminals who were convicted and given a jail term of over two years. Bodstrom denied that the registry would unjustly infringe upon individuals' personal integrity, saying simply that they just "shouldn't commit a crime." The law is expected to be in place by January 1, 2006. US lawmakers recently proposed similar legislation [JURIST report] to take and record DNA from terror suspects and suspected illegal immigrants who have been arrested but not convicted. From Sweden, The Local has more.