Sex offence record checks proposed

The commission's Review of Sexual Offences Sub-committee Chairman Peter Duncan said the interim measure can be implemented quickly by administrative means without legislation.

The check will only reveal convictions for a specified list of sexual offences. In the absence of legislation the application for a record check will have to be submitted by the job applicant.

The scheme should apply to existing and prospective employees but can be implemented in stages, with only prospective employees covered in the initial phase.

No offender register

The commission does not favour the introduction of a register of sex offenders. Instead it recommends criminal records held by Police be utilised to screen job applicants.

The scheme now operated by Police for providing Certificates of No Criminal Conviction will be modified and adapted to enable the proposed checks to be conducted. Any check will have to be initiated by the job applicant, and their consent is necessary for the result to be revealed to the prospective employer. A clean result will not be recorded in writing, but will be communicated verbally to the job applicant or the employer.