Paper short abstract:

Forensic science is important part of the process of ensuring public security using reliable scientifically valid evidence. On the other hand it can also be a tool of control and coercion directed against criminal and non-criminal population, and particularly against the »other« presented as danger to the particular national lifestyle.

Paper long abstract:

Forensic science is undoubtfouly important part of the investigative and judicial criminal process. It presents reliable evidence that can be interpreted in favor or against the suspect of the criminal offence. But as reliable and important forensic sciences are, there is also other side of the forensic science, which does not correspond to the popular image of the CSI.

Forensic scientist is obliged to follow the science and the law. While science is progressing relatively fast (new technologies, new processes etc.), the law usually follows with significant time gap. And of course, the question of the ethical forensic science is non-existent. Therefore questions of the use of the forensic data is getting very important, particularly with the more and more widespread exchange of the forensic data via different international treatises. Forensic data has thus become widely available to different law enforcement bodies which can use them according to the national legislation. Fingerprints and DNA are today commonly exchanged through different channels.

Usually both sets of data can be checked in the national and international databases. There are many questions concerning why and what can be checked in the databases including with the question what (or who) and why is in the databases.

The presentation will systematically show several important issues of the contemporary forensic science:

• Database building

• Kinship search in the DNA database

• National search in the DNA database

Dangers of the use of the forensic science without strict legislation and control will be emphasized.