"Libertarianz has no problem with allowing the police the ability to utilise molecular biological technology when fighting crime," says spokesman Robert Winefield, "however our press release of yesterday has raised a few eyebrows, and requires further clarification."

"We believe the Police should be allowed every legitimate means available to fight real crime," he says. "The slipshod procedures currently used to issue warrants are however open to abuse and should be remedied before any use of DNA be introduced. Moreover, we remain opposed to any permanent DNA database along British lines."

He suggests his stumbling block could be addressed in the short term by stipulating that DNA may only be taken either after arrest, as with fingerprints, or voluntarily - if a suspect wishes to clear themselves. DNA derived from persons cleared of suspicion should be immediately destroyed.

"The long term remedy," he says, "would be the introduction of proper procedures for due process, as for example are contained in Libertarianz' proposed constitution."

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>