DNA testing for paternity can change the course of a life. So to run a test on āstolenā DNA taken from an everyday item, such as a coffee cup or a babyās dummy, is a gross invasion of privacy ā especially when that DNA is an innocent childās rather than the alleged fatherās. Either way, a child can be harmed if a covert test tears their family apart.
Even if other nations do not follow the UKās lead in banning stealthy genetic tests (see āGenetic privacy: Who is testing your DNA?ā), laws on paternity testing merit review. One option would be to follow practice in France, where DNA tests can only be ordered in the context of a formal hearing to contest paternity. The court can consider the childās interests and help to cushion life-altering shocks when the test results are disclosed.
