Criminals could keep records from employers under new government review
People with criminal records may not have to tell their employers about their past convictions for some jobs under a new review of rules by the Home Secretary.
Sajid Javid said the government needs to "look again" at how much is revealed about people who have committed certain crimes when applying for jobs.
The law currently states that anyone with one conviction automatically has details shared with potential employers, no matter how long ago the offence was committed.
The Home Office has held talks with the Ministry of Justice about a possible change after a Supreme Court ruling in favour of three people who said the rules had negatively impacted on their lives.
Mr Javid said: “One thing I am looking at, to give you one example, is the disclosure service, youth criminality disclosure, and whether we can look again at the approach that is sometimes taken there.
“So for example if a young person today has committed two offences, no matter what they are, so could be twice they shoplifted when they were 11 and 12 or something, that record can linger for years and years when they are an adult.
“They may find they are never getting a proper chance to turn around, I think we need to be sensible and look again at issues like this.”
Mr Javid shared details of the rethink after a speech in east London where he said he "could have actually turned out to have a life of crime" when he was younger.
In January, the Supreme Court rejected a Government appeal against a human rights ruling won by individuals who said their lives were unfairly haunted by past minor convictions.
The judges found the scheme was “disproportionate” after the Home and Justice secretaries challenged a Court of Appeal judgement in 2017 over the legality of the scheme.