Childhood criminal records could be wiped under plans being evaluated by David Lammy.
To prevent individuals from being affected by minor crimes in the future, the Justice Secretary is considering streamlining the current system.
It comes after evidence revealed that people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s still had transgressions of street fighting and bike thefts in their youth, disclosed to employers.
It is not known whether the move would affect more serious crimes such as drug dealing or harassment.
Mr Lammy told The Telegraph: ‘We will consider opportunities to simplify the criminal records regime to ensure it is clear and proportionate, particularly in relation to childhood offences.’
He previously called for childhood convictions to be wiped after a period of time unless they were the most serious offences.
In a 2017 review of criminal justice for David Cameron, Mr Lammy recommended a US-style approach, which would permit people to apply to a judge to seal their criminal records if they can demonstrate that they have been rehabilitated.
Mr Lammy was commissioned by the Conservative government to investigate how members of the black, Asian and other minority communities are treated by the criminal justice system, while he was a backbench Labour MP.
Under his recommendation, if a decision by a judge or a parole board went the applicant’s way, the criminal record would still exist, but the person would not need to disclose it, and employers would be unable to see it.
The convictions would not be wiped from the record or quashed, but the purpose is to give people a second chance.
The recommendations could hit a roadblock over a definition of ‘serious offences’, as the Deputy Prime Minister would have to determine whether crimes such as dealing drugs or racial abuse could be wiped after a period of time.
Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner, previously said judges should have the power to wipe criminal records of people who had ‘done their time’ for silly crimes committed as a child.
Last year, a 13-year-old girl confessed to threatening violent behaviour after she booted a glass door at an asylum hotel.
The offence will remain on her record for life and will be disclosed if she works in a job with children.
Recent figures from a freedom of information request showed that about 160,000 people had their childhood offences disclosed to prospective employers.
They included people in their 50s who still had violations of robbing a bicycle or boarding a train without a ticket from their childhood, on their record for checks by employers.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: ‘We want to help children who have committed crime to stop reoffending and turn their lives around.
‘That is why the Government is actively exploring opportunities to simplify the criminal records system, while always putting public safety first.’
I’m not quite sure why David Lammy is doing this because many convicted offenders, their convictions become spent after a certain amount of time, although it does depend on the conviction:
In the UK, the time it takes for a conviction to become spent varies based on the type of sentence:
Prison sentences of less than 12 months: these become spent 12 months after the sentence ends.
Prison sentences between 12 months and 4 years: these become spent 4 years after the sentence ends.
Prison sentences over 4 years: these do not become spent.
All cautions and convictions eventually become spent, except for prison sentences of over 30 months.
This is just additional proof that Labour are soft on criminality and David Lammy is a complete clown.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 