Consultation on Review of Criminal Records Regime

The Minister appointed Sunita Mason to conduct a review of the criminal records regime in Northern Ireland. The review was completed in two Parts. The first report looked at the disclosure of criminal records and other information for pre-employment purposes and was published in August 2011, while Part Two focused on the management of records and was published in March 2012.

The Department is now consulting on four of the recommendations from Parts One and Two of the review. Consultation has already taken place on a number of the other recommendations in Part One.

This consultation seeks views on the following: A working definition for a criminal record; whether criminal record information on an individual should be retained for 100 years from the date of birth; whether AccessNI should routinely disclose informed warnings, cautions and details of diversionary youth conferences, and whether the Department of Justice should bring forward proposals to filter out convictions which are both old and minor and criminal information such as cautions for disclosure purposes.

“Public protection, including the protection of young people and the most vulnerable in our society, remains at the heart of our work in this area.

“I welcome Mrs Mason’s recommendations to further strengthen existing disclosure and administrative arrangements for criminal records management,” the Minister said.

“This consultation provides an additional opportunity for people to help develop policy for the management and use of criminal records information and I would encourage all those who have an interest to respond.”

The consultation will run for 12 weeks and closes on 16 August 2012.