Employment Screening and Non-Conviction Information: A Human Rights Perspective

Abbreviations

Preface

Chapter One - The Disclosure of Criminal Records to Employers

Introduction

The Early Days

·         The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

The Expansion of the Disclosure System after 1986

'On the Record' and the Police Act 1997

The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)

The Vetting and Barring Service (VBS)

The Coalition Government

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

·         The 'filtering' of criminal records

Summary

Chapter Two - The Nature of 'Non-conviction Information'?

Introduction

'Hard' Information

·         The Police National Computer

'Soft' Information

·         The Police National Database (PND)

·         Law Enforcement Data Services (LEDS)

Sources of 'Soft' Information

·         Anti-social Behaviour

·         Sex Offenders and other Violent People

·         Voluntary Organisations

·         Other People known to the Police

Summary

Chapter Three - The Disclosure of 'Non-Conviction Information' to Employers 1986 to 2010

Introduction

The 1985 Joint Review and Subsequent Circulars

Did we need 'non-conviction information'?

'On the Record' (1996)

The Police Act 1997

·         R(X) v Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police ([2005 1 WLR 65; [2004] EWCA Civ 1068)

·         The Bichard Inquiry 2004

·         Home Office Circular 5/2005

The Code of Practice on the Management of Police Information (MOPI)

R(L) v Chief Constable of the Metropolis [2009] UKSC 3

Chapter Four - The Police Disclosure of 'Non-Conviction Information' to Employers 2010 to the present day

Introduction

The Mason Reports (2010-2011)

The CRB role in the disclosure of 'non conviction information'

·         The Independent Monitor

Young People, Criminal Records and 'non conviction information'

A Unilateral Police Decision?

The Unemployed Person and Enhanced Disclosure Checks

Summary

Chapter Five - Making the Decision to Disclose 'Non-Conviction Information'

Introduction

Early Guidance

Guidance after the Police Act 1997

·         X v Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police

·         Home Office Circular 5/2005

Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005

The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012

·         Quality Assurance Framework

·         Statutory Disclosure Guidance

Summary

Chapter Six - Human Rights

Introduction

Background

European Convention on Human Rights - Article 6

European Convention on Human Rights - Article 8

Proportionality

Summary

Chapter Seven - Conclusions

Introduction

Employers in Receipt of CRB 'non conviction information'

'Non conviction information' - A Lack of Justification in the Literature

Does the ECRD regime undermine the criminal justice process?

The Effects of the Stigma associated with Disclosed Information

Recent Developments