The Sexual Offences Act 2003 (Notification Requirements) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (“the 2003 Act”) imposes notification requirements on offenders convicted of certain sexual offences. These offenders are called “relevant offenders”. The 2003 Act requires relevant offenders to notify certain personal information to the police, both at the outset and periodically thereafter and to notify certain changes in circumstances.

These Regulations amend the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (Travel Notification Requirements) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/1220) (“the 2004 Regulations”) and introduce new notification requirements under the 2003 Act.

Regulations 3 to 8 make provision about the application of, or amend, the 2004 Regulations. Regulation 3 contains transitional provision for the 14 day period immediately following the coming into force of these Regulations. Regulation 5 makes complete provision for relevant offenders who intend to travel outside the United Kingdom. It provides that relevant offenders are required to notify their personal details to the police under Part 2 of the 2003 Act in relation to any intended travel outside the United Kingdom, except when travelling to the Republic of Ireland, regardless of the length of the trip. Notification of travel outside of the United Kingdom to the Republic of Ireland must be made where the relevant offender intends to travel for a period of three or more days. Previously, the 2004 Regulations required relevant offenders to notify the police of intended travel outside the United Kingdom, but only where this related to travel for a period of three or more days. Additionally, Regulation 5 provides that relevant offenders are required to notify their intended travel not less than seven days before departure, or exceptionally not less than 12 hours before departure. Previously, the 2004 Regulations only permitted relevant offenders to exceptionally notify the intended travel not less than 24 hours before departure. Regulation 6 provides that relevant offenders must notify additional information about their intended travel. Regulations 7 and 8 make consequential amendments to the 2004 Regulations, including provision for relevant offenders to exceptionally notify a change to information previously notified by them less than 12 hours before departure.

Regulation 9 requires relevant offenders who have no sole or main residence to notify every seven days the address or location of a place in the United Kingdom where they can regularly be found. Previously, Part 2 of the 2003 Act required such a relevant offender to give notification once every year.

Regulations 10 and 11 require relevant offenders to notify the police when the relevant offender resides, or stays for at least 12 hours, at a relevant household. A relevant household is a household or other place at which a child (defined as a person aged under 18 years) resides or stays (whether with its parent, guardian or carer, with another child or alone) and to which the public do not have access. The information must include the date on which the relevant offender begins to reside or stay at the relevant household, its address and the period for which the relevant offender intends to reside or stay at that place.

Regulations 12 and 13 impose requirements on relevant offenders to notify information about their bank accounts, and debit and credit cards. It applies to accounts and cards held by relevant offenders in their own names or in the name of an unincorporated business run by them, and whether held singly or jointly with another person.

Regulation 12(1) requires relevant offenders to notify the police about whether they hold an account with a banking institution (defined as a bank, building society or any other institution providing banking services), a debit card in relation to such an account, a credit card account or a credit card. If relevant offenders hold an account or card, they are required to notify the information specified in regulation 12(2) to (7).

Regulation 13 requires relevant offenders to notify a change in any of the circumstances prescribed by that regulation. These circumstances arise where an account is opened or closed, a debit or credit card is obtained, no longer held or has expired and information previously notified by the relevant offenders has altered or become inaccurate or incomplete.

Regulations 14 and 15 require relevant offenders, when giving initial notification under sections 83 to 85 of the 2003 Act, to give certain information in accordance with whether or not they hold a passport, other identity document (which has the meaning given in section 7 of the Identity Documents Act 2010) or other document. If the relevant offender holds a passport, the information must comprise the passport number and relevant offender’s full name as it appears in the passport. If the relevant offender does not hold a passport but holds another identity document, the information must comprise the description of the identity document, its issue number (if any) and the relevant offender’s full name as it appears in the identity document. If the relevant offender does not hold a passport or other identity document, but holds another document containing information which can verify the relevant offender’s identification, the information must comprise the description of the document, its issue number (if any) and the relevant offender’s full name as it appears in the document.