Opposition Senator Andre Worrell has reiterated his call for mandatory DNA testing at the commencement of child maintenance and paternity proceedings, emphasizing that such a measure would promote fairness and prevent future emotional and financial turmoil. During Wednesday’s Senate debate on the Family Leave Bill, Sen. Worrell aligned his stance with that of acting Chief Magistrate Deidre McKenna, who last month advocated for automatic DNA testing to bring greater clarity and equity to family legal matters. McKenna, speaking at a panel discussion on financial child support delinquency, suggested that Barbados should adopt a system where DNA testing is automatically conducted when a man is brought before the court for maintenance. She argued that this approach would eliminate uncertainty and ensure that maintenance obligations are based on verified paternity. Sen. Worrell, while supporting the Family Leave Bill, which extends maternity leave and introduces paid paternity leave, highlighted the need for the legal system to ensure fairness for men by making paternity testing accessible and affordable. He pointed out that many men face significant emotional and financial distress when they later discover they are not the biological fathers of children they were ordered to support. Worrell proposed that introducing DNA testing at the outset of maintenance proceedings would mitigate these issues, benefiting all parties involved. He suggested that early paternity testing should be integrated into the legal process to prevent prolonged disputes and ensure that maintenance decisions are grounded in scientific evidence.