Lammy ‘considering wiping childhood criminal records’ to prevent harm to future job prospects
Justice Minister David Lammy is reportedly considering expunging childhood criminal records.
Designed to help simplify the criminal records check system, the move aims to prevent minor crimes by young people from disrupting the job prospects of adults. Daily Telegraph reports that youth violations are still disclosed to middle-age employers.
“We will consider opportunities to simplify the criminal records regime to ensure it is clear and proportionate, particularly in relation to childhood offending,” Mr Lammy, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, told the newspaper.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice said: “We want to help children who commit crimes stop re-offending and turn their lives around.
“The government is therefore actively exploring opportunities to simplify the criminal records system, while always putting public safety first.”
In 2017, Mr Lammy led a review of discrimination in the police and criminal justice system commissioned by the Conservatives under Lord David Cameron and then Baroness Theresa May.
He advocated reform of how criminal records are kept and suggested criminals should be able to apply to a judge to have their records “sealed” if they can prove they have changed their behavior since they were convicted.
