http://news.scotsman.com/politics/MSPs- ... 6257689.jpMSPs reject holding DNA from innocent people for six yearsPublished Date: 28 April 2010
By Gareth Rose
PLANS to double the time that innocent people's DNA can be held on file have been blocked in the Scottish Parliament.
The justice committee voted to keep the upper limit at three years for people charged but not convicted of violent or sexual crimes.
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None of the committee's decisions is final and the Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill will still have to face a vote of all MSPs in the parliament before becoming law.
DNA retention was raised to six years in England and Wales, something Scottish Labour wanted to replicate north of the Border.
James Kelly, Scottish Labour's spokesman on community safety, said: "It simply does not make sense for Scotland to have weaker laws on DNA retention that the rest of the UK."
There were 832 positive matches to the DNA database in cases of rape, murder and manslaughter in England and Wales last year.
People convicted of offences, throughout the UK, see their DNA retained on file for life.
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