Pardons for historic gay convictions: a call for evidence
Monday, 07 December 2020
It is quite rare for any government to admit to some historic wrongdoing, and even more so to take some concrete efforts to tackle it. When the government announced that it would be creating a process for gay and bisexual men to have their certain convictions removed from the record, this was a unique opportunity
- Published in Decriminalised gay sex offences, Latest, News @ Unlock
A momentous day for tens of thousands of people with old and minor criminal records
Saturday, 28 November 2020
Today is a momentous day for tens of thousands of people with old and minor criminal records. The stigma and embarrassment of a criminal record means many people simply don’t apply for jobs or voluntary roles that would require them to disclose their old and minor convictions or cautions. It’s a toxic form of punishment
- Published in Latest, News @ Unlock, News & Media, Policy successes, Unlock's blog, Way DBS work, What DBS disclose
Government announces date when planned changes to criminal record disclosure rules will take effect
Thursday, 19 November 2020
The government has today confirmed that planned changes to the rules on filtering will come into effect on Saturday 28 November. After years of campaigning for change, and after many months of holding the government to account on the implementation of the changes, the news was confirmed in a letter to Unlock from the Home
- Published in Latest, News @ Unlock, Policy successes, Way DBS work
A smarter approach to criminal records?
Friday, 02 October 2020
On the 16th September the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) published it’s much anticipated white paper “A Smarter Approach To Sentencing”. It is a mixed bag, offering ‘tough on crime’ sentencing measures along with some more positive reforms to criminal record disclosure periods. The MoJ says that they want to improve employment prospects for people with convictions, and so reduce reoffending, which sounds great.
- Published in Latest, News & Media, Unlock's blog, Way ROA works
Scottish Government Reforms criminal record disclosure
Monday, 21 September 2020
The Scottish Government has passed a significant reform to their criminal records regime. The Scottish system is separate from the one that applies in England and Wales, and had fallen behind the rest of the UK after Westminster made significant updates in 2014. The reforms that Holyrood have now passed make for interesting reading. The Scottish reforms, which come
- Published in Latest, Unlock's blog, Way ROA works
Unlock’s response to Ministry of Justice plans to make reforms to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
Wednesday, 16 September 2020
Commenting on today’s announcement (16 September) by the Ministry of Justice on plans to make changes to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the disclosure of criminal records, Christopher Stacey, co-director of Unlock, said: Unlock very much welcomes and supports today’s announcement by the Justice Secretary that disclosure periods for criminal records will be reduced. If these
- Published in Latest, Press releases and comment, Way ROA works, When spent
Taxi! New guidance for licensing authorities recommends exclusions for even minor convictions
Friday, 28 August 2020
In July 2020 the Department for Transport published new guidance
- Published in Latest, News & Media, Self employment
New report highlights potentially hundreds of unlawful criminal record checks by employers each year
Friday, 31 July 2020
Unlock, a national advocacy charity for people with criminal records, has today published Checked out?, a report on so-called ‘ineligible’ criminal record checks, submitted by employers and processed by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 allows some criminal records to become spent after a crime-free period. This means they are no
Case study – Julian – Extra costs and the possible loss of a job because my records didn’t show I’d paid my compensation order
Friday, 31 July 2020
In 2009 Julian was convicted of ABH and received a community order together with a £1,000 compensation order which he paid immediately. After waiting the 5 years for his conviction to become spent (this was prior to the changes to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act in 2014) Julian applied to Disclosure Scotland (who were responsible
- Published in Policy cases, What DBS disclose
Case study – Toby – Failure of the system to amend a restraining order has led to the loss of several jobs
Friday, 31 July 2020
Toby contacted our helpline for some advice regarding a restraining order which he’d received in 2010. He explained that he had originally been given an ‘indefinite’ order which his solicitor considered to be excessive. An application was made to the Court to amend the order whereupon it was changed to 2 years. Since then Toby
- Published in Policy cases, What DBS disclose
Reforming the criminal records disclosure regime – Have you a sentence of over 4 years in prison?
Wednesday, 22 July 2020
We’ve published an updated briefing on reforming the criminal records disclosure regime and we want to hear from you if you have a conviction that can never become spent. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) means that most convictions can become spent after a period of years. Changes implemented in 2014 (through focused mainly on
- Published in Campaigns, Employment, Get involved, Latest, News & Media, Way ROA works
Case of Lauren
Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Case of Lauren – consecutive sentences can never become spent Lauren contacted us for help understanding when her convictions would become spent. She was convicted of two separate offences related to the same incident, all dealt with in the same court proceedings. She was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for cultivating
- Published in Policy cases, Way ROA works