THE LEGAL STATUS OF GENETIC TESTING AND DNA EVIDENCE IN PAKISTANI COURTS

Abstract

This research will discuss the legal position of genetic testing and DNA evidence in Pakistani courts and how genetic testing is becoming increasingly important in the criminal justice system. DNA testing is becoming an acceptable forensic instrument, particularly in matters of sexual crimes, paternity cases, and murder cases. Courts have become open to the usage of DNA to support, but not necessarily rule out, evidence and this has evolved into Pakistani jurisprudence. Its admissibility and the procedural regulation have been extended by legislative changes, including amendments to the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order and certain clauses of the criminal laws. Nevertheless, there are still problems such as insufficient forensic infrastructure and missing standardized testing procedures, visible chain-of-custody problems, and insufficient judicial education on scientific evidence. Privacy, consent, and data protection issues are also ethically complex and make their use even harder. In general, the legal environment can be characterized by a slow yet consistent acculturation of genetic evidence, which indicates the necessity to provide more transparent statutory regulations, enhance forensic capabilities, and reinforce the protection of justice.