A cross-party group of MPs and members of the House of Lords has suggested that children who have committed minor crimes as youngsters but have stopped breaking the law should have their record cleared when they turn 18.
The review panel heard that a criminal record could hamper the education and employment prospects of young people and also found that youth justice in England and Wales had “systemic failings” and an “inability” to prevent offending.
According to justice minister Jeremy Wright, youth crime is down and fewer young people are entering the system but the ministry wants to do more to help them.
Meanwhile, inquiry Chair Lord Carlile said that the key problem is that children appearing before the courts often have no clue about what’s happening to them, so ministers must make it a more accessible and understandable system for children, their parents and for victims.
He added that young people who have reformed and obtained professional qualifications are inhibited from getting work because CRB and other record checks show they have committed an offence in their younger days.
He therefore recommended that if people have been through a good criminal justice system, they should be able to wipe the slate clean when they become an adult, although he said that a “decent time lapse” should be in place when under-18s commit serious offences.
The review also said that, where possible, children should not be taken before a court, and crown court appearances for under-18s should be the rare exception.
Under current rules, criminal convictions for under-18s stay on their record for five and a half years, while cautions last for two years. However, some offences are never removed.