The social uses of DNA in the political realm or how politics constructs DNA technology in the fight against crime

Abstract

Research has shown that the adoption and integration of new technologies in professional environments and daily lives depend less on their objective characteristics and “real” performance than on representations and hopes built into those technologies. This paper will focus on DNA technology and the meanings and expectations invested into it by actors who participated in the debate surrounding two bills on DNA identification in Canada. Through this process, we will uncover the symbolic conditions that allowed for the introduction of the National DNA Databank as a crime-fighting tool: first, the minimization of the power of the substance and the idealization of the DNA databank potentialities; second, the scientification and professionalization of the police through DNA; and third, the reconciliation of Canada's two identities, that of the criminal justice innovator and human rights defender. Those are some of the key symbolic elements that made the creation and expansion of the DNA databank possible.

Keywords:

• social uses of technology
• DNA databank
• criminal policy
• Canada

Acknowledgements

We want to thank the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada for funding the research leading to this publication. We are also grateful to Uri Ben-Gal for editing the article.

Notes

1. It goes without saying that most studies reviewed here are either American or British. Studies on this topic conducted in continental Europe, Australia and Canada are few.

2. Canadian Criminal Code, s. 487.04

3. E.g. sexual assault, homicide, aggravated assault, etc.

4. E.g. assault, robbery, indecent acts, etc.

5. At the time of writing, the bill has been adopted but is still not in force.

6. For example, causing bodily harm with intent and child pornography related offenses were added to the primary designated offenses list and offenses such as criminal harassment and uttering threats were added to the secondary designated offenses list.

7. After the second reading in the House, bills are sent to the relevant standing committee, in this case, the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (C-3), renamed later the Standing Committee on Justice, Human Rights, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (C-13). The committee is composed of members of parliament from all political parties, in proportion, and has the duty to examine and report on bills related to its area of competence.

8. See Robert et al. (2006) for more detailed description and categorization of the groups.

9. It is interesting to note that the way the DNA databank “assists” and “helps” is never clearly defined and the weight of DNA evidence amongst other evidences is never specified. Some research tends to show that overall DNA might not be as efficient as portrayed (Brodeur 2005, Mucchielli 2006).