Lord Justice Sedley is correct in describing the national DNA database as indefensible, unfair and inconsistent. It has a number of flaws which require to be addressed as a matter of urgency. However, I believe that his preferred solution, the inclusion of all citizens and visitors to the UK, would create a greater evil than that which currently exists.

Britons are allegedly the most observed people in the European Union, a fact which has long been the subject of vigorous debate. To impose compulsory inclusion on the DNA database would create yet another layer of supervision, another level of monitoring in a way George Orwell could never have imagined. Every step towards greater control of the population changes the relationship between the people and government. Rather than being regarded as citizens with the dignity and influence that implies, we become potential suspects to be controlled by every new means, our movements recorded at every stage.

Lord Justice Sedley is being rather disingenuous in his comments. Recent years have seen a greater drift towards the creation of a monitoring class and the great mass of the observed. I have no doubt he, as part of the monitoring class, would love to use the imperfections in the system as an excuse to transform it into an even more effective instrument of control. Those of us who value our civil liberties should be aware of the threat and ought to oppose the extension of state control at every turn.

John Kelly, 65 Hunter Road, Milngavie.

Lord Justice Sedley suggests compelling everyone to submit samples of their DNA to a national database. He proposes this measure, which he himself describes as "authoritarian", as a solution to the disproportionate number of records relating to ethnic minorities because of ethnic profiling. A better solution is to remove all samples unless they relate to someone charged with, or convicted of, an offence.

Geraint Bevan, NO2ID Scotland, 3e Grovepark Gardens, Glasgow.