The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records and Registration) (Guernsey) Regulations 2009

PART 1 Introduction

Citation, commencement and extent

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records and Registration) (Guernsey) Regulations 2009 and shall come into force on 16th December 2009.

(2) These Regulations extend to Guernsey.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations—

“the Act” means the Police Act 1997;

“exempted question” means a question in relation to which section 4(2)(a) or (b) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (effect of rehabilitation) has been excluded by an order of the Secretary of State under section 4(4) of that Act;

“Guernsey” means the Bailiwick of Guernsey and its adjacent territorial sea;

“register” means the register maintained by the Secretary of State for the purposes of Part 5 of the Act;

“reprimand” means a reprimand given to a child or young person in accordance with section 65 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998(1);

“volunteer” means a person engaged in an activity which involves spending time, unpaid (except for travel and other approved out-of-pocket expenses), doing something which aims to benefit some third party other than or in addition to a close relative;

“warning” means a warning given to a child or young person in accordance with section 65 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

PART 2 Applications for criminal record and enhanced criminal record certificates

Application form

3.  The form set out in Schedule 1 to these Regulations, or a form to the like effect, is hereby prescribed for the purposes of sections 113A(1)(a), 113B(1)(a), 114(1)(a) and 116(1)(a) of the Act.

Fees for criminal record certificates and enhanced criminal record certificates

4.  The fee payable in relation to an application for the issue of a criminal record certificate or an enhanced criminal record certificate is prescribed as—

(a) £26 in the case of a criminal record certificate;

(b) £36 in the case of an enhanced criminal record certificate, and an additional £6 where an urgent preliminary response is sought under section 113E(3)(b);

save that no fee is payable in relation to an application made by a volunteer.

Relevant matter: prescribed details

5.  The following details of a relevant matter are prescribed for the purposes of sections 113A(3)(a) and 113B(3)(a) of the Act (including those provisions as applied by sections 114(3) and 116(3))—

(a) in the case of a conviction within the meaning of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, including a spent conviction—

(i) the date of conviction;

(ii) the convicting court; and

(iii) the offence;

(b) in the case of a caution, reprimand or warning—

(i) the date of caution, reprimand or warning;

(ii) the place where the caution, reprimand or warning was issued; and

(iii) the offence which the person issued with a caution, reprimand or warning had admitted.

Enhanced criminal record certificates: prescribed purposes

6.  Purposes which correspond to purposes which are prescribed in regulation 5A of the Police Act (1997) (Criminal Records) Regulations 2002(2) are prescribed purposes for the purpose of section 113B(2)(b) of the Act.

Suitability information relating to children

7.  Cases which correspond to cases which are prescribed in regulation 5 of the Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (No. 2) Regulations 2009(3) are prescribed cases for the purpose of section 113BA(1) of the Act.

Suitability information relating to vulnerable adults

8.  Cases which correspond to cases which are prescribed in regulation 6 of the Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (No. 2) Regulations 2009 are prescribed cases for the purpose of section 113BB(1) of the Act.

Central records: prescribed details

9.  Information in any form relating to convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings on a names database held by the National Policing Improvement Agency for the use of constables is prescribed as “central records” for the purposes of section 113A(6) of the Act (including that provision as applied by sections 113B(9), 114(3) and 116(3)).

Enhanced criminal record certificates: relevant police forces

10.  For the purposes of an application for an enhanced criminal record certificate “relevant police force” means—

(a) the police force maintained for the police area in England and Wales or Scotland within which the applicant resides or has resided within the period of five years preceding the date of the application;

(b) the British Transport Police;

(c) the Police Service of Northern Ireland if the applicant resides or has resided within the period of five years preceding the date of the application within Northern Ireland;

(d) the State of Jersey Police Force if the applicant resides or has resided within the period of five years preceding the application within Jersey;

(e) the salaried police force of the Island of Guernsey if the applicant resides or has resided within the period of five years preceding the application within Guernsey;

(f) the Isle of Man Constabulary if the applicant resides or has resided within the period of five years preceding the application within the Isle of Man

(g) such of the police forces referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) to (f) above as appear to the Secretary of State to be in possession of information regarding the applicant;

(h) such other police force as the chief officer of police of a police force identified as a relevant police force by virtue of paragraphs (a), (b) or (c) above determines;

(i) the Criminal Records Bureau if—

(i) there is no UK residence address within the last five years provided on the application; and

(ii) no other police force appears to the Secretary of State to be relevant to the application;

(j) any police force that the Secretary of State determines to be relevant to the application.

Exception to unlawful disclosure provisions

11.—(1) The following purpose is specified in accordance with section 124(6)(f) of the Act, namely disclosure by an employment agency or employment business, whether or not in response to an exempted question, for the purpose of consideration—

(a) by an educational institution, within the meaning given by section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000(4);

(b) by an institution within the further education sector, within the meaning given by section 91(3) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992(5); or

(c) by an equivalent institution in Guernsey;

of a person’s suitability for a position at that institution.

(2) In paragraph (1) above the reference to an employment agency and an employment business are references to such an agency or business within the meanings given by section 13 of the Employment Agencies Act 1973(6) or an equivalent agency or business in Guernsey.

PART 3 Registration

The register

12.  There shall be included in the register the following information:

(a) the name and address of the registered person and any telephone or facsimile number or electronic mailing address which has been notified to the Secretary of State for communication purposes;

(b) the date on which the name of that person was first listed in the register;

(c) the number assigned to that person on being listed

(d) the nature of the exempted question, if any, that that person is likely to ask;

(e) in the case of the registered body—

(i) whether that body is likely to countersign applications under section 113A or 113B or transmit applications under section 113A(2A) or 113B(2A) of the Act at the request of bodies or individual asking exempted question and, if so, the nature of those questions;

(ii) the name and address of any individual for the time being nominated in accordance with regulation 13 below as being authorised to act for the body in relation to the countersigning or transmission of applications under Part 5 of the Act and any telephone or facsimile number or electronic mailing address which has been notified to the Secretary of State for communication purposes;

(iii) the date on which the name of that individual was first listed on the register;

(iv) the number assigned to that individual on being listed; and

(v) a specimen of the signature of that individual.

Nomination of authorised individuals

13.—(1) The body applying for registration under section 120 of the Act shall submit with the application the names of the individuals authorised to act for the body in relation to the countersigning or the transmission of applications under Part 5 of the Act.

(2) The registered body shall submit to the Secretary of State the names of any individuals so authorised after the registration of the body, whether or not in substitution for any name previously submitted.

(3) The Secretary of State may refuse to accept, or continue to accept, the nomination of an individual as so authorised if, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, that individual is not a suitable person to have access to information which has become, or is likely to become, available to him as a result of the registration of the body which nominated him.

(4) Where the Secretary of State refuses to accept, or to continue to accept, the nomination of an individual under this regulation, he shall notify the body concerned, and that body may submit the name of another individual in substitution.

Fee on application for inclusion in the register

14.  The fee payable by a person on application for inclusion in the register shall be £300.

Additional fees

15.  In respect of the second and each subsequent name entered in the register in accordance with regulation 12(e)(ii) above, the fee payable shall be £5.

Conditions attached to registration

16.  The person’s registration shall be subject to the following conditions:

(a) payment of the fee referred to in regulation 14 above;

(b) the fee payable under regulation 15 above in respect of the second and each subsequent name entered in the register shall be invoiced by the Secretary of State to the person and payable on account within 15 days of the invoice date;

(c) the fee payable in relation to an application under section 113A or 113B of the Act which is accompanied by a statement under section 113A(2)(b) or 113B(2)(b) of the Act shall be invoiced by the Secretary of State and payable on account within 15 days of the invoice date;

(d) where the registered person has made a statement under section 113A(2)(b) or 113B(2)(b) of the Act in relation to an application for a criminal record certificate or an enhanced criminal record certificate, any charged levied in connection with the services it provides under Part 5 of the Act shall be—

(i) notified in writing to the Secretary of State who may publish details of any such charged in such manner as he thinks fit; and

(ii) set out in any documentation the registered person publishes which relates to the services it provides under Part 5 of the Act;

(e) prior to submitting an application for a criminal record certificate or an enhanced criminal record certificate to the Secretary of State, the registered person shall use all reasonable endeavours to ensure that—

(i) the mandatory data fields are completed to the Secretary of State’s satisfaction on the form prescribed in Schedule 1 to these regulations and that the data supplied is accurate;

(ii) the certificate is requested for an exempted question or prescribed purpose as the case may be; and

(iii) if the application for a criminal record certificate or an enhanced criminal record certificate is made by a volunteer, the application falls within the definition of a volunteer in these regulations;

(f) prior to making a statement under section 113A(2)(b) or 113B(2)(b) of the Act in relation to an application for a criminal record certificate or an enhanced criminal record certificate, a registered person or his authorised agent shall verify the identity of the applicant and in so doing comply with such conditions as the Secretary of State thinks fit and has notified to the registered person in writing;

(g) where the registered person uses the services of another person to verify the identity of applicants, the registered person shall—

(i) ensure the suitability of that person to conduct such checks;

(ii) provide appropriate training and guidance to that person; and

(iii) ensure that that person discharges his duties in accordance with such conditions as the Secretary of State thinks fit under sub-paragraph (f) above;

(h) any change of the details in the information recorded on the register shall be notified to the Secretary of State.

Meg Hillier

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Home Office

14th December 2009