Law enforcement use of genetic genealogy databases in criminal investigations: Nomenclature, definition and scope.

Although law enforcement use of commercial genetic genealogy databases has gained prominence since the arrest of the Golden State Killer in 2018, and it has been used in hundreds of cases in the United States and more recently in Europe and Australia, it does not have a standard nomenclature and scope. We analyzed the more common terms currently being used and propose a common nomenclature: investigative forensic genetic genealogy (iFGG). We define iFGG as the use by law enforcement of genetic genealogy combined with traditional genealogy to generate suspect investigational leads from forensic samples in criminal investigations.

Universal forensic DNA databases: acceptable or illegal under the European Court of Human Rights regime?

Universal forensic DNA databases are controversial given their omnibus scope of incorporating DNA profile data of the entire population into the system. Following the landmark decision of the European Court of Human Rights on the retention of DNA profiles in , two differing opinions emerged on its application to universal databases: their acceptability and illegality. This paper makes use of the elements of the right to respect for private life (Article 8 ECHR), distilled from the Court's jurisprudence involving collection and retention of DNA profile data, in the form of tests-preliminary interference, legality, legitimate purpose, and proportionality-in assessing the feasibility of establishing population-wide DNA databases in Europe.