THE DUTCH FOCUS ON DNA IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: NET-WIDENING OF JUDICIAL DATA John A. E. Vervaele, F.C.W. de Graaf et N. Tielemans ERES | « Revue internationale de droit pénal » 2012/3 Vol. 83 | pages 459 à 480 Document téléchargé depuis www.cairn.info - University of Utrecht 131.211.104.202 03/05/2019 17h11. © ERES ISSN 0223-5404 ISBN 9782749236353 Article disponible en ligne à l'adresse : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.cairn.info/revue-internationale-de-droit-penal-2012-3-page-459.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Distribution électronique Cairn.info pour ERES. © ERES. Tous droits réservés pour tous pays. 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Document téléchargé depuis www.cairn.info - University of Utrecht 131.211.104.202 03/05/2019 17h11. © ERES 1. Introduction The Netherlands is one of the pioneer countries in the field of the use of DNA in criminal matters. Already in 1988 DNA was used for the first time as an investigative tool in criminal proceedings. In the case in question, DNA material was used in order to investigate whether a person, convicted of raping two women, had indeed been the perpetrator of this crime.1 A DNA investigation was thus carried out after a conviction. The investigation was assumed to be based on article 195 of the Dutch Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP), which makes it possible to physically investigate the suspect.’s body However, in 1989 it was decided by the Dutch Supreme Court that this competence did not cover the possibility of a DNA investigation. As a consequence, legislation dealing with the use of DNA in criminal proceedings was formulated in 1994.2 In other words, following the UK example, the first legislative package on DNA in criminal proceedings was introduced in order to meet the procedural legality principle under article 1 CCP and thus to create sufficient possibilities to use DNA as an investigative and evidentiary tool in criminal matters. Already in 1997, a DNA database was set up at the National Forensic Institute (NFI), containing DNA profiles. Although there was some discussion at the beginning, it was clear that the storage of DNA profiles would be the exclusive competence of the NFI under the guidance of the prosecutor. In other words, a DNA investigation (including sampling/profiling) is a prosecutorial matter, not a ! The original version en Spanish will be published en Juan-Luis Gómez Colomer (editor), ADN y proceso penal. Una visión integral, Editorial Tirant lo Blanch, Valencia 2013, forthcoming. ! J.A.E. Vervaele: Professor of economic and European criminal law at Utrecht University and of European Criminal law at the College of Europe in Bruges. F.C.W. De Graaf: Studentassistent at Utrecht Law School, Willem Pompe Institute. N. Tielemans: Studentasssistent at Utrecht Law School, Willem Pompe Institute. 1 De Poot and Kruisbergen 2006, p. 27. 2 Stb. 1993, 596. Document téléchargé depuis www.cairn.info - University of Utrecht 131.211.104.202 03/05/2019 17h11. © ERES 101-200.qxp:RIDP vierge par 100 qxp 21/05/13 19:18 Page114 460 International Review of Penal Law (Vol. 83) police matter. The police authorities, even though they have judicial functions, are not allowed to set up their own DNA databases. After 15 years, it also became clear that the first legislative package needed substantial legislative changes to cope with new needs. In April 2012 a new legislative package came into force3. The use of DNA in criminal proceedings, as an investigative and evidentiary tool, is however not a subject which is lacking in controversy. The Supreme Court has recently reviewed and reopened several criminal cases involving res iudicata Document téléchargé depuis www.cairn.info - University of Utrecht 131.211.104.202 03/05/2019 17h11. © ERES convictions because of serious indications of errors involving DNA evidence4. These cases, considered as serious miscarriages of justice, have shown that DNA samples can be contaminated by improper police work or even manipulated by police authorities when they are involved in the initial investigation of the crime scene. The aim of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the actual Dutch DNA regulation used in criminal proceedings. After a short introduction to the Dutch DNA legislation, an overview will be given of the most important regulations in the Netherlands concerning DNA investigations for the purpose of criminal proceedings. After that, we will specify the object and purpose(s) of the different kinds of DNA investigations. Attention will then be paid to the thresholds that have to be met in order to legitimately carry out DNA investigations and the persons who can be subjected to DNA investigations. After this, a description of the Dutch way of preserving DNA samples will be given (the Dutch legislation concerning DNA databases). Finally, the relationship between the use of DNA in criminal proceedings and human rights will be discussed and some attention will be paid to the Prüm acquis. 2. Current legislation concerning the use of DNA in criminal proceedings The actual legislative package contains legislation from different sources, combining the CCP, special statutes and Royal Decrees. The general procedure concerning DNA sampling and DNA profiling is laid down in the CCP, especially in article 138a and article 151a CCP. Apart from the CCP, there is also legislation concerning the collecting of DNA samples from convicted persons. This legislation has been laid down in the ‘DNA Testing (Convicted Persons) Act’.5 Furthermore, the DNA (Criminal Cases) Tests Decree (DNA Decree) contains 3 Stb. 2012, 131. 4 C. Blakesley, La Preuve Pénale et des Tests Génétiques, International Academy of Comparative Law & American Journal of Comparative Law 46 AM. J. COMP. L. 605 (Supp. 1998). 5 Wet DNA-onderzoek bij veroordeelden, Stb. 2007, 513. See also: ECHR 7 December 2006, appl. no. 29514/05 (Van der Velden vs. The Netherlands). Document téléchargé depuis www.cairn.info - University of Utrecht 131.211.104.202 03/05/2019 17h11. © ERES 101-200.qxp:RIDP vierge par 100 qxp 21/05/13 19:18 Page115 Revue Internationale de Droit Pénal (Vol. 83) 461 legislation with respect to the DNA database: in which cases and under which conditions is it possible to preserve DNA stains in the database? 2.1. Applicable articles in the CCP Before commenting on the specific provisions in the CCP it is necessary and useful to underline some essential factors of Dutch criminal procedure and DNA. First of all, in the Netherlands prosecutors are judicial authorities that investigate (not only prosecute) and supervise the police authorities having judicial functions. Second, the Netherlands still has an investigating judge, but he has lost most of Document téléchargé depuis www.cairn.info - University of Utrecht 131.211.104.202 03/05/2019 17h11. © ERES his investigative monopoly and mostly deals with the authorization of certain coercive measures. Third, when it comes to evidence, there is no such thing as “scientific evidence” as a legal concept. That means that all the evidence gathered by technical means will be the outcome of an analysis by an expert. The outcome will be presented in an expert report. Eventually the expert can be called to testify in court. The approach to DNA investigations and DNA evidence is thus largely one which focuses on ‘expert’ evidence. The CCP starts with a definition of a DNA investigation, in order to indicate the objective and the scope of the investigation, including the persons who can be subjected to such an investigation. Article 138a CCP contains the definition of a DNA investigation in criminal proceedings: ‘DNA investigation concerns the investigation of cell material which is aimed at comparing DNA-profiles or determining observable personal features of an unknown suspect or unknown victim or determining kinship.’ In other words, the use of DNA evidence in the Netherlands is clearly not limited to samples taken from convicted persons, but includes a wide circle of people, including the suspect. This is in line with the international evolution in the field, but is not without controversy. At the beginning of 2012, Maryland’s highest court held that the collection of DNA samples from people arrested but not yet convicted violated the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures6. In August 2012 Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. stayed that ruling while the Supreme Court decides whether to hear Maryland’s appeal against the state court decision. It still remains to be seen if the Supreme Court will hear this case. In the USA there is disagreement among state and federal courts that have considered the question. Currently, 24 states and the federal government have laws allowing DNA sampling before conviction. The CCP makes a clear distinction between a DNA investigation with consent (the classic version) and a DNA investigation without consent, which is 6 Court of Appeals of Maryland 24 April 2012, no.