News dated
The UK Ministry of Justice opened a consultation on 12 November about criminal records for offences committed during childhood. It applies to England and Wales. Proposals would limit lifelong disclosure of some convictions in checks used for particular jobs. [1][2][3]
The document retains distinctions for the most serious offences and does not propose changing the DBS barring scheme that prevents people posing a risk from working with vulnerable groups. Legislative changes would be required: opening a consultation does not mean records have already been cleared. [3]
The bright side
The proposal addresses barriers to rehabilitation while retaining the protection of vulnerable people as a central requirement. [1][2][3]
One idea, in simple words
A criminal record contains information about offences for which someone has been convicted. In England and Wales, some information about offences committed during childhood can appear in checks for work many years later. On 12 November, the government opened a consultation, asking for views on possible changes. It proposes reducing some disclosure requirements while keeping safeguards for the most serious cases. Imagine a door with entry rules: changing them requires considering both people seeking an opportunity and people who need protection. This is only an example to explain the issue. No general deletion of criminal records has been approved. Putting these proposals into practice would require further decisions and changes to the law. [1][2][3]
A little discovery to keep
What did you discover?
Straight from the source.
- New proposals to stop childhood crimes closing doors for life UK Ministry of Justice · 12 Nov 2026
- Reforming childhood criminal records disclosure UK Ministry of Justice · 12 Nov 2026
- Reforming childhood criminal records disclosure consultation UK Ministry of Justice · 12 Nov 2026
Original reporting summaries prepared with AI assistance and accessible sources. Our editorial method.
