The Portfolio Committee on Police adopted the report on the Criminal Law Forensic Procedure Amendment Bill without any amendments last week.
The Cape Argus reports that the committee also confirmed that all clauses and sections applicable to it had been approved before moving forward for parliamentary approval.
The purpose of the Bill was to make provision for the full implementation of certain transitional arrangements contained in the Criminal Law (Forensic Procedures) Amendment Act, 2013. the Act would compel the government to take DNA samples of schedule eight offenders and add them to the convicted offenders’ database before the said offenders were released on parole. It also proposes removal of the time limitation on the taking of swabs from already convicted (and imprisoned) offenders and further imposes several reporting requirements on the national police commissioner and correctional services.
It also allows for an authorised person, assisted by correctional officials, to use minimum force against an offender who refuses to submit to the taking of a buccal sample under the authority of a warrant.
Cape Argus PressReader article – Portfolio committee on police adopts DNA Bill (Open access)
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