Evolution of DNA Technology and Its Use in Criminal Justice System

Evolution of DNA
technology and its use
in Criminal Justice
System

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................2
TASK ..............................................................................................................................................2
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
INTRODUCTION
Before 1980s, the criminal justice system in order to get evidences for criminal cases
relied heavily on testimonies and eye witnesses. But these methods started fading giving rise to
new technologies and methods and this led to the emergence of forensic sciences.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid also known by the short name DNA plays a crucial part in criminal
investigations. It is a powerful tool which helps to identify criminals with accuracy giving strong
evidences regarding an individual's presence at a given place and their involvement in a
particular crime. This DNA technology has helped to ensure accuracy and fairness in the
Criminal Justice system due to its uniqueness(BASHINSKI, 2019). The government of UK is
advancing efforts so that the efficiency and utility of DNA technique can be maximized in the
coming future. The following essay will focus on defining DNA technology, its history,
evolution and its usage in the Criminal Justice system.
TASK
DNA technology is a process which involves sequencing, examining and cut paste of
DNA. This technique has change the face of the modern science. DNA is a molecule which
comprises two chemical chains which form a double helix by coiling around each other to
provide gene instructions that relate to the development, growth and functioning of organisms.

So, it can be said that it involves genes where the genetic material of an organism is inherited
which determines a person's age, behaviour, etc. It is primarily a nucleic acid in nature. In recent
times, Medical science has completely changed with the advances that are taking place in DNA
technology which includes cloning, DNA fingerprinting, recombinant DNA technology, gene
therapy, DNA profiling,etc. DNA was first discovered in 1860s by a Swiss researcher named
Friedrich Miescher whereas the technology related to it was first discovered in 1970s when
Recombinant DNA was produced using restriction enzymes. DNA technology is thus defined as
the study, analysis and manipulation of genetic material which is present in an organism or
human being (Farley, 2019). This field of technology is thus applied to various sectors like
pharmaceuticals, medicine, agriculture, courts and Criminal justice system.
The technique of DNA testing was first put to light in the year 1984 by a British
scientist, Sir Alec Jeffreys, who used it to determine genetic fingerprinting in a lab at a
University in UK. He identified the differences and similarities in DNA of the various members
of a family. This helped him to understand the wide scope of DNA technique which could help
in identifying variations in genetic code of different individuals. This method which was found
by Jeffrey was first used in 1985 to identify the family of a British boy. It was a famous
immigration case where the family of the boy was originally from Ghana and they had
immigrated in UK by later on becoming citizens. However, when one of the sons was in
possession of a forged passport, he was asked questions. His family approached Jeffrey's to
prove that the mother and son were related to each other (Granja, Machado & Queirós, 2021). To
proceed further, the DNA samples were taken from the mother and son after which it was
confirmed by the DNA patterns that they were related to each other.
When it comes to the use of DNA technique in the police system. DNA fingerprinting
was the technology which was first used in the year in 1986 in a police forensic test. It was a
case of Rape where two teenagers were raped and murdered in 1983 and 1986. The similarities
in the case made the police believe about the relation of the two cases with the same person. That
time a person named Richard was in the police custody and was suspected to be involved in
these cases. The DNA profiling helped in revealing that one person was responsible for both the
murders due to the identical match of the semen that was collected from the two victims. It also
cleared Richard's name from the murder due to a mismatch of semen and his blood and tissue
specimens. After this, there was wide search carried out to identify the killer and a lot of samples