Crackdown on ‘Back-door’ Criminal Record Checks

Under section 56 of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA), it is now a criminal offence for any person or organisation to require an individual to submit a ‘subject access request’ (i.e. the right for an individual to access any of their personal data held by third parties on payment of a fee, provided certain requirements are met) in order to obtain and provide a copy of their criminal record. This will not prevent employers and others from obtaining access to criminal records through legitimate means (for example, seeking disclosure officially through the Disclosure and Barring Service). The offence was created over a decade and a half ago but has only been brought into force on 10 March 2015.

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