Text as at 26 April 2026

This provision has not been checked by a human. The text below was read automatically from the official PDF and has not yet been verified against it, so it may differ from the provision as published — in its wording, its numbering, or where one provision ends and the next begins. For the authorised text, see legislation.vic.gov.au.

464SD Informed consent—DNA person and their parent or guardian

(1)In this section— parent or guardian means a parent or guardian of a DNA person who is a child.

(2)A DNA person or a parent or guardian gives informed consent to a request for the DNA person to give a DNA profile sample if the DNA person or the parent or guardian consents to the request after a police officer informs the DNA person or the parent or guardian in language likely to be understood by the DNA person or the parent or guardian— the sample taken will be destroyed; and

(a)of the purpose for which the sample is required; and

(b)of the nature of the procedure sought to be conducted to take the sample; and

(c)for a DNA person who is an adult, of the indictable offence which the person is suspected of having committed or with which the person has been charged or for which the person has been summonsed to answer to a charge; and

(d)for a DNA person who is a child, of the DNA sample offence which the child is believed on reasonable grounds of having committed or with which the child has been charged or for which the child has been summonsed to answer to a charge; and

(e)for a DNA person who is a child, that for the child to give informed consent both the child and the child's parent or guardian must consent to the taking of the sample; and

(f)that the taking of the sample could produce evidence to be used in a court; and

(g)that information obtained from analysis of forensic material obtained by the taking of the sample will be placed on a DNA database and may be used for the purpose of a criminal investigation or any other purpose for which the DNA database may be used under this Subdivision or under a corresponding law of a participating jurisdiction; and

(h)that if a sample is taken from the DNA person and—

(i)the person has not been charged with an indictable offence or a DNA sample offence (as the case requires) at the end of 12 months after the taking of the sample; or

(ii)the person has been so charged but the charge is not proceeded with or the DNA person is not found guilty of the offence whether on appeal or otherwise before the end of that period—

(i)that the DNA person or the parent or guardian may refuse to consent to the taking of the sample; and

(j)that if the DNA person or the parent or guardian refuses to consent to the taking of the sample, that a senior police officer may authorise the taking of the sample.

(3)A police officer who informs a DNA person or a parent or guardian of the matters in subsection

(2)—

(a)must record the giving of the information and the person's responses, if any, by audio recording or audiovisual recording or in writing signed by the person; and

(b)must give or send by registered post to the person or the person's legal practitioner or the parent or guardian of the child if the child's legal practitioner is not known, without charge—

(i)if the giving of the information and the responses are recorded by audio recording or audiovisual recording, a copy of the recording as soon as practicable, but not more than 7 days after the information is given, and, if a transcript of the recording is prepared, a copy of the transcript as soon as practicable; and

(ii)if the giving of the information and the responses are recorded in writing signed by the person, a copy of the record as soon as practicable.

(4)A DNA person is taken as having refused consent if—

(a)the DNA person is—

(i)held in a prison, police gaol or youth justice centre; or

(ii)a prisoner in a prison or a person detained in a police gaol who is transferred from the prison or police gaol to a facility or an institution referred to in section 56AB(1) of the Corrections Act 1986; and

(b)within 24 hours after the giving of the information referred to in subsection (2) the DNA person fails to consent to the request to take the sample.

(5)A parent or guardian is taken as having refused consent if the parent or guardian is not capable of giving informed consent by reason of mental impairment.