Genetic Testing for Additional Evidence during Investigations: Focus in Ethics

Ji Hyun Lee; Hwan Young Lee; Kyu-Won Jung; Soong Deok Lee

doi:10.7580/kjlm.2015.39.4.93

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Lee, Lee, Jung, and Lee: Genetic Testing for Additional Evidence during Investigations: Focus in Ethics

종 설

Korean J Leg Med 2015;39(4):93-98.

Published online: 17 January 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7580/kjlm.2015.39.4.93

Genetic Testing for Additional Evidence during Investigations: Focus in Ethics

Ji Hyun Lee¹, Hwan Young Lee², Kyu-Won Jung³, Soong Deok Lee^1,⁴

¹Department of Forensic Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

²Department of Forensic Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

³School of Law, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea

⁴Institute of Forensic Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence to Soong Deok Lee Department of Forensic Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03080, Korea Tel: +82-2-740-8359 Fax: +82-2-764-8340 E-mail: sdlee@snu.ac.kr

Received 15 October 2015 Revised 27 October 2015 Accepted 13 November 2015

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Since the introduction of genetic fingerprinting 30 years ago, there has been considerable development in the field of forensic genetics. A cautious approach is emphasized when using human genetic evidence in order to protect individual rights and because of its distinctiveness. Nevertheless, conventional ethical guidelines may no longer be suitable for handling information derived from genetic material. Moreover, projected innovations to maximize such systems’ usage have raised previously debated ethical concerns. Recent and on-going research on the use of genetic evidence obtained from crime scenes to estimate physical appearance, ancestry, and/or personal traits is expected to provide additional investigative resources, especially for cases involving unknown identity. Given the special nature of genetic components, ethical issues need to be seriously considered and addressed when conducting research involving human genetic material. However, such ethical parameters may shift with scientific advancements. Moreover, because ethics reflects social consensus, various perspectives must be obtained and discussed. This paper introduces multiple perspectives on using genetic material as additional evidence for police investigations and indicates scope for the discussion of prospective ethical concerns.

Keywords: DNA fingerprinting, Identification, Investigative techniques, Phenotype, Ethics

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