The Law Commission is calling for the complete overhaul of how DNA is obtained, used and retained for criminal investigations.
The review, which the Government asked for in 2016, has revealed significant gaps in the current law, including insufficient independent oversight and a failure to accommodate human rights values, tikanga Māori and te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The Commission has made 193 recommendations, including the implementation of a DNA Oversight Committee with mandatory Māori representation.
The Commissioner responsible for the project, Donna Buckingham, spoke to Māni Dunlop.