13 November 2012 Last updated at 11:15 ET <\/p>\n
Police in Northern Ireland can retain indefinitely DNA samples and fingerprints of convicted offenders, the High Court in Belfast has ruled. <\/p>\n
Judges rejected a test case which tried to establish the policy was a breach of privacy rights. <\/p>\n
A European ruling had found it was wrong to retain the profiles of people who had been found innocent. <\/p>\n
Lawyers for a man convicted of drink-driving had tried to get this extended to those guilty of \"lesser offences\". <\/p>\n
They had predicted that if judges backed their case, it could lead to the destruction of vast amounts of police records throughout Europe. <\/p>\n
The retention of data serves the additional purpose of discouraging a convicted offender from re-offending <\/p>\n
According to records, there are some 700,000 fingerprints and 123,000 DNA samples on the database in Northern Ireland alone. <\/p>\n
Fergus Gaughran provided his fingerprints, a photograph and DNA profiles after being arrested for suspected drink-driving near Camlough, County Armagh in October 2008. <\/p>\n
He later pleaded guilty to the offence and was disqualified from driving for a year. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
See the rest here: 13 November 2012 Last updated at 11:15 ET Police in Northern Ireland can retain indefinitely DNA samples and fingerprints of convicted offenders, the High Court in Belfast has ruled. Judges rejected a test case which tried to establish the policy was a breach of privacy rights. A European ruling had found it was wrong to retain the profiles of people who had been found innocent. Continue reading
\nJudges reject DNA samples appeal<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"