Library of Parliament Publication on Forensic DNA Analysis

The Library of Parliament recently published New Frontiers in Forensic DNA Analysis: Implications for Canada's National DNA Data Bank:

"DNA evidence has been used in criminal investigations since 1986; it was first used in Canada in 1988. In the two decades since, DNA identification has become an integral part of the work carried out at forensic science laboratories across the country. The use of DNA identification was further expanded in 2000 with the establishment of the National DNA Data Bank, which allows investigators to rapidly screen DNA evidence against the DNA records of thousands of previously convicted criminals and evidence from other crimes."

(...)

"Genetic research is evolving, and current technologies used in forensic DNA analysis are almost certain to be altered by future scientific advances. Furthermore, changes in legal restrictions and social attitudes regarding the acceptable uses of genetic information can change restrictions on the use of forensic DNA analysis. This paper examines three areas in which new DNA investigation methods are already changing the application of forensic DNA analysis internationally, or are likely to do so in the near future: "

1. "New analysis methods for comparing degraded DNA samples;
2. DNA database searches that identify suspects by their genetic similarities to relatives; and
3. Analysis methods which could generate a physical description of a suspect based on DNA evidence."