“Information about a person’s convictions which was systematically collected and stored in central records and was available for many years after the convictions had receded into the past could fall within the scope of private life for the purposes of art 8(1) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms so that disclosure of the information could amount to an interference with the art 8 right to respect for private life. When the chief officer of police was considering for the purposes of an enhanced criminal record certificate whether to disclose information held on police records about a person who had applied for a job which involved working with children or vulnerable adults, he was required to decide whether the job applicant’s right to respect for her private life outweighed the social need for protecting children and vulnerable adults. There was no presumption that disclosure should be made unless there was good reason for not doing so.”

WLR Daily, 30th October 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk