Police Caution Questions and Answers

31 01, 2019

What is the impact of the 2019 Supreme Court criminal records decision?

By |January 31st, 2019|Tags: , , , , , |

Yesterday the Supreme Court handed down a judgement with respect to the disclosure of past criminal records. This litigation had been ongoing for a number of years, including numerous claimants and campaign groups. The judgement can be found here: R (on the application of P, G and W) (Respondents) v Secretary of State for

30 01, 2019

How Long can the Police Keep my DNA and Fingerprints?

By |January 30th, 2019|Tags: , , , , , |

If you have been arrested for a recordable offence, then the police will have the right to take a DNA sample and fingerprints. The police can retain your DNA and fingerprints in certain circumstances, but there a number of situations where the police must delete your DNA and fingerprints.

30 01, 2019

What is a Recordable offence?

By |January 30th, 2019|Tags: , , , |

A recordable offence is a criminal offence for which the police are required to keep a record on their systems. Broadly this means crimes for which an individual could be sentenced to a term of imprisonment. Most common types of offence are recordable, namely common assault, assault by beating, theft, possession of drugs, and public

28 01, 2019

What is the Police National Database (PND)?

By |January 28th, 2019|Tags: , , , , |

The Police National Database (PND) is a separate system from the Police National Computer (PNC). The stated aim of the PND is as follows: The Police National Database (PND) is a national information management system that improves the ability of the Police Service to manage and share intelligence and other operational information, to prevent and

26 01, 2019

What is the Police National Computer (PNC)?

By |January 26th, 2019|Tags: , , , , , |

The Police National Computer (PNC) is the principal police database used by the police. The PNC is an amalgam of a number of databases containing text information relevant to policing. Fingerprints and DNA are not placed onto the PNC, but a reference to these items is logged against names files which link to the National

15 01, 2019

Can United States of America Immigration Officials see my Criminal Record?

By |January 15th, 2019|Tags: , , , , , , |

If you are planning on travelling to the USA and you have a criminal record, you may be concerned about what records the authorities can see. We received several anecdotal reports of UK citizens attempting to travel to the US and being turned away due to arrest records, see here for a recent news

16 02, 2017

Record Deletion Process – ACRO Deletion of Records from National Police Systems

By |February 16th, 2017|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It is possible to apply for the deletion of police records from the Police National Computer (PNC), National Fingerprint Database (IDENT1) and the National DNA Database (NDNAD). The  National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) call this process the “Record Deletion Process.” Locally held records, such as custody records and custody photos, are managed under the  Authorised

14 02, 2017

Police Cautions

By |February 14th, 2017|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A police caution is an out of court disposal aimed at achieving cheap and rapid justice. A police caution can only be issued if the suspect accepts the caution and admits the allegation. Admission to a Police Caution If a suspect does not admit the allegation then a police caution cannot be issued. An

1 02, 2017

Is a police caution a criminal record?

By |February 1st, 2017|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Is a police caution a criminal record? The short answer to this question is yes - a caution is a criminal record. However what actually constitutes a "criminal record" is not a precisely defined concept, and the better question to ask is, in what circumstances will my caution be disclosed? A caution will become

31 01, 2017

How long does a police caution stay on your record?

By |January 31st, 2017|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The answer to the question "How long does a police caution stay on your record?" depends on who is asking the question. The answer will be different depending on the level of disclosure that can be lawfully requested by the organisation who is asking the question. On a basic disclosure a caution (youth and