David Lammy: ‘Ex-offenders should have the chance of a clean slate’ – The Guardian

‘There are currently more than 11 million people in the UK with a criminal record. The latest research suggests that nearly three-quarters of ex-offenders are unemployed on release from prison, with 50% of employers saying they would not even consider hiring an ex-offender. This amounts to a second sentence for those who have already served their time, often trapping offenders in a cycle of reoffence. The Ministry of Justice estimates the total economic and social cost of reoffending at £18.1bn per year. The criminal records regime contributes to an extortionately expensive revolving door.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 13th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office barred from deporting Zimbabwean with HIV – The Guardian

Posted April 30th, 2020 in criminal records, deportation, HIV, human rights, news, Supreme Court, Zimbabwe by sally

‘UK Home Office efforts to deport an HIV-positive Zimbabwean man because of his lengthy criminal record have been blocked after the supreme court ruled removing him would breach his human rights.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 29th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

EXE v Governors of the Royal Naval School [2020] EWHC 596 QB – 39 Essex Chambers

‘The Defendants employed a 30 year old man “Hughes” as a kitchen porter from 15 October 1990 to 10 July 1991 at their school for girls. He was provided with accommodation on the school premises. The Defendants were not aware that Hughes had a criminal record, including offences of indecent assault on a female and unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 15. Had the Defendants been aware of these convictions, Hughes would not have been offered employment.’

Full Story

39 Essex Chambers, 22nd April 2020

Source: www.39essex.com

Strasbourg Court rules against UK on police retention of data – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 27th, 2020 in criminal records, data protection, DNA, human rights, news by tracey

‘Can the police indefinitely retain an individual’s DNA profile, fingerprints and photograph after they have been convicted? That was the question before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Gaughran v UK (no. 45245/15, ECHR 2020). This judgment — which was given for the applicant — is of interest both on the merits and as an example of the way the Court continues to approach issues of this kind.’

Full Story

UK Human Rights Blog, 26th February 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Criminal record checks system still broken, say campaigners – The Guardian

Posted February 4th, 2020 in criminal records, delay, news, vetting by sally

‘Legal rights campaign groups have described as a “disgrace” the government’s delay in reforming the criminal record checks system.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 30th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Criminal records scandal: police chiefs blame Theresa May – The Guardian

Posted January 16th, 2020 in budgets, criminal records, deportation, government departments, news, police by sally

‘Theresa May has been blamed by chief constables for botched police reforms that led to tens of thousands of alerts on foreign criminals being kept from their home countries.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 15th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Social media posts referred to police could show up on DBS background checks despite not being a crime – Daily Telegraph

‘Social media posts referred to police but deemed as non-criminal could still show up on DBS background checks.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 19th November2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Spent convictions, underlying conduct and the ‘fit and proper person’ test – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 14th, 2019 in criminal records, housing, licensing, news by tracey

‘James Findlay QC and Riccardo Calzavara report on an Upper Tribunal ruling on spent convictions and the “fit and proper person” test for holding a property licence under the Housing Act 2004.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 14th November 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Assorted – Licensing and prior offences, RROs and Section 8 Notices – Nearly Legal

‘This appeal was on the issue of whether a local authority and the First Tier Tribunal could take into account previous convictions that were spent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 in deciding whether an applicant for a Housing Act 2004 licence was a ‘fit and proper person’.’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 10th November 2019

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Police officers illicitly access police computers including checks on a partner’s criminal record – Daily Telegraph

‘Hundreds of police officers and staff have illicitly accessed police databases for their own ends including checking the criminal records of partners. Freedom of Information requests show 237 officers and staff have been disciplined for accessing the highly-sensitive police national computer or other IT systems in the past two years.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 7th November 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Revealed: hundreds of children pushed into adult courts by delays – The Guardian

Posted November 6th, 2019 in children, criminal records, delay, news, young offenders, youth courts by sally

‘Those who turn 18 before first court appearance face tougher treatment regardless of age when they committed offence.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 5th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police failing to record thousands of crimes including harassment, stalking, and coercive behaviour, watchdog finds – Daily Telegraph

‘Police forces are failing to record thousands of crimes, including harassment, stalking, and coercive behaviour, a watchdog has found. New figures show a gap between the number of incidents that are reported and the number of incidents that are then logged appropriately.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 8th October 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Alan Turing law: Gay, unjustly convicted – and now denied a pardon – BBC News

‘Two years ago the “Turing law” was passed to right a historic injustice by pardoning gay men convicted in the past because of their sexuality. But fewer than 200 living people have had their convictions wiped out so far. What’s going wrong?’

Full Story

BBC News, 30th September 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police watchdog warns 35,000 police staff ‘not vetted properly’ – BBC News

‘An estimated 35,000 people working for police forces across England and Wales have not been properly vetted, a police watchdog report has found.’

Full Story

BBC News, 27th September 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Child sex abuse inquiry: Victims with criminal records denied compensation – BBC News

‘Survivors of sexual abuse in care homes are denied compensation or have payouts cut because of their own criminal convictions, an inquiry has found.’

Full Story

BBC News, 19th September 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Thousands of rape reports inaccurately recorded by police – The Guardian

Posted September 20th, 2019 in consent, criminal records, mental health, news, police, rape, statistics by sally

‘Thousands of reports of rape allegations have been inaccurately recorded by the police over the past three years and in some cases never appeared in official figures, the Guardian can reveal.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 19th September 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Offer to settle for no damages was valid under part 36 – Litigation Futures

‘An offer to settle a case for no damages but an admission of liability was a valid part 36 offer and it was not unjust to apply the usual consequences of beating an offer when the claimant won at trial, the High Court has ruled.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 28th August 2019

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Manchester police have ‘massive backlog’ of uncharged suspects due to IT issue – The Guardian

Posted August 16th, 2019 in computer programs, criminal records, news, police by tracey

‘Police in Greater Manchester have been unable to charge many suspects since the introduction of a new £27m computer system, leading to a massive backlog, lawyers have claimed.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 15th August 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Criminal record reform to help ex-offenders into work – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 15th, 2019 in criminal records, disclosure, employment, press releases, rehabilitation by tracey

‘Ex-offenders striving to turn their lives around through work will be backed by new legislation changing what they must disclose to employers.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 15th July 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Violent offenders avoiding criminal records through controversial community resolutions – Daily Telegraph

‘Violent criminals, burglars and sex offenders are among more than 100,000 people escaping prosecutions each year by opting for community resolutions, according to new figures.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 17th June 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk