Criminal records review: terms of reference
Criminal Records Review will examine if criminal records regime strikes the right balance between civil liberties and protecting the public.
Details
The Criminal Records Review will examine whether the criminal records regime strikes the right balance between respecting civil liberties and protecting the public. It is expected to make proposals to scale back the use of systems involving criminal records to common sense levels. The review will include consideration of the following issues:
In phase 1:聽
(i)聽Could the balance between civil liberties and public protection be improved by scaling back the employment vetting systems which involve the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)?
(ii)聽Where Ministers decide such systems are necessary, could they be made more proportionate and less burdensome?
(iii)聽Should police intelligence form part of CRB disclosures?
In phase 2:聽
1.聽How should the content of a 鈥榗riminal record鈥� be defined?
2.聽Where should criminal records be kept and who should be responsible for managing them?
3.聽Who should have access to criminal records databases, for what purposes and subject to what controls and checks? To what extent should police intelligence be disclosed?
4.聽What capacity should individuals have to access, challenge and correct their own criminal records?
5.聽Could the administration of criminal records be made more straightforward, efficient and cost-effective?
6.聽Could guidance and information on the operation of the criminal records regime be improved?
7.聽How effective is the integration of overseas data into the criminal records regime?鈥�
If you or your organisation wish to comment please email the review team at [email protected].