Paper DNA fingerprinting & inviolability of the body in the Netherlands
In this paper, I will examine practices of forensic-genetic techniques in the Netherlands.[i] The paper starts with a brief introduction of the various Dutch laws that have come into force since the mid 1990s and how the law is related to forensic-genetic developments. Then, a case study will be introduced to discuss the legal principle “inviolability of the body”. Before entering the realm of the rule of law, empirical data will be mobilised to explain how heterogeneous practices of forensic DNA enact “reliability” of DNA profiling. One of these reliabilities will be discussed in further detail by focussing on the chain of evidence. Such a chain of evidence, so is the argument in the paper, proliferates “the body” through time and place. Hence, legal concepts like privacy and inviolability of the body/bodily integrity no longer suffice bodies enacted in forensic-genetic practices.
[i] This paper uses insights of a case study that has generally been financed by the Dutch organization for scientific research (NWO). The author would like to thank the participants of 10th colloquium of the Post Graduate Forum on Genomics and Society (PFGS) for their feedback on an early draft of this paper that was presented during the annual colloquium.
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drs. Victor Toom
0031-(0)20-5253516
v.toom@uva.nl
room A4.04b
Amsterdam School for Social science Research
University of Amsterdam
Kloveniersburgwal 48
1012 CX Amsterdam
The Netherlands
http://home.medewerker.uva.nl/v.toom/
www.assr.nl
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