The Revolution, Reform and Reactions of DNA Testing
Thesis Statement
Sir Alec Jeffreys’ 1984 discovery of DNA fingerprinting in England has revolutionized the criminal justice system by enabling legal entities to determine innocence or guilt of a suspect to a much higher level of accuracy. This discovery has also provided the ability to identify victims of natural disasters or catastrophes like 911. Additionally, DNA testing or profiling, has helped doctors and researchers to identify medical conditions and illnesses, determine pre-existing conditions and prevent them sometimes before they actually occur. While the revolution of DNA testing has numerous positive applications, the advancement in technology has caused a great deal of concern around an individual’s right to privacy, and created questions around the ethical nature of the medical application. Of particular concern is the use of DNA fingerprinting for cloning activities.