Paying to prove your innocence

Another day, another shocking story about the retention of the DNA of innocent people.

An article in the Daily Telegraph at the weekend revealed that in next week's Queen's Speech the government will announce it is planning on forcing innocent people to pay £200 to try and get their DNA removed from the national database.

According to the report:

The new power will allow members of the public to challenge a chief constable's refusal to delete their profiles in court - but they will have to pay an application fee to do so.

So now not only are the government in the habit of collecting the DNA of innocent people (and if you don't think there's any reason to be concerned about having your DNA on the national database, read this story) they also want us to pay for the privilege of not having our biometric data stored and tested, even if we have done nothing wrong to begin with. 

To take a different argument; if this is necessary to be part of the 'club' called the European Union, why is this not?

By Dylan Sharpe

Comments

[Robert Eve]

As one of the many who were never charged but still had to give DNA, I hope the Tories make it clear that the removal of this data will cost the individual nothing after the election.