Australia: Fathers 'disrupt debate on DNA'

Story here. Excerpt:

'EMOTIVE arguments from men's rights groups threaten to hijack the discussion of new laws to outlaw DNA theft.

The claim comes from policy-makers and academics backing moves to make it illegal to take and test a bodily sample such as hair or saliva without permission. The concern is that, because DNA testing is now easy and accessible, genetic information could be misused by employers, insurance agencies and journalists tracking down "famous DNA", as well as by angry spouses.

David Weisbrot, president of the Australian Law Reform Commission, said: "I wouldn't want to derail the general reform because of the concerns of fathers' groups which might be better addressed in other ways -- for instance, through family law reform."

Men who want genetic proof that they are the biological father of a child have legal avenues for getting the youngster tested even without the mother's consent.'