Justice committee Thank you, Mr. Chair. I've just been advised by my colleague Mr. Yost, from the Department of Justice, that the clause-by-clause book is being printed as we speak here today. As soon as it's possible, I understand this will be presented to you. I hope that helps.
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee No, there's no requirement that the RCMP communicate what it does to the initial police force. The policy, as I understand it--and perhaps other members of the RCMP can speak to it--is to communicate, immediately upon receipt of a DNA data bank order that, on its face, is defec
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee International sharing, as I understand it, is quite small at the moment; it's a one-off. There are two aspects. Individual police forces in Canada can ask for the commissioner to send off specific crime scene stains that it has, and it's submitted to the data bank as a profile. T
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee It's possible the law enforcement agencies outside the RCMP may have direct communications, as they may on any file, to ask for assistance internationally through the connections they have. There is no limit by the DNA data bank over what law enforcement agencies can do with info
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee Not that I'm aware of.
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee None are in the data bank.
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee None.
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee It was really a legal issue, not a technical problem. The destruction would just take place entirely, without their being analyzed. The package they received would be destroyed without analysis, and that would be the end of those particular kits.
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee It would only deal with the records kept by the RCMP and the National DNA Data Bank.
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee No. The samples are sent entirely to the RCMP, so the bodily substance would be entirely within the control of the RCMP. The legislation requires that the entire sample be sent to the commissioner, and it would therefore be destroyed. So all they would have is a record of an orde
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee I think the Department of Justice could probably deal with this matter more directly in terms of their analysis of the justification of expanding the DNA regime. But my understanding is that it has been reviewed and that it would withstand scrutiny for charter analysis, that it's
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee Perhaps I can respond to that. I think I would suggest to the committee that you look back at the testimony received from witnesses during the consideration of Bill C-13. I was here when you heard from Dr. Chris Maguire of forensic services in the U.K. system. He talked about th
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee No, I don't disagree with that, sir.
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee The DNA Identification Act does not prescribe where crime scene profiles will come from. It simply obliges the commissioner to deal with what he receives for entering into the convicted offender index, and as a matter of policy and as a matter of the amendments to Bill C-13, that
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird
Justice committee The only guarantees I could provide you with are those provided by the DNA Identification Act, which makes it a criminal offence for the commissioner or the commissioner's delegates to use DNA information that the agency has in the National DNA Data Bank for any other purpose tha
February 27th, 2007Committee meeting
David Bird