In the second part the author examines the repercussions of constitutional case law on the legal protection of genetic information. He then considers the special nature of genetic information and addresses the corresponding need for special treatment thereof in law. A specific model is suggested for the legal status of such information. This model is based on the Spanish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. The article then casts a critical eye over data protection legislation in Spain (in particular Law 15/1999 of 13 December) concentrating on five principles, four of which are substantive and the fifth procedural: 1) consent; 2) purpose; 3) confidentiality; 4) quality; 5) proportionality. Lastly, the article gives examples of areas in which the model might be applied (for instance in employment contracts, insurance, access to information by family members).