Rehabilitation in the internet age: The Google-effect and the disclosure of criminal records. (September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Stacey, Christopher
• Is Part Of: Probation journal. Volume 64:Number 3(2017)
• Page Start: 269
• Page End: 275
• Publication Date: 2017-09
• Subjects: Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 -- criminal records -- disclosure -- rehabilitation -- internet -- Google; Probation -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 364.6305
• DOI: 10.1177/0264550517711280
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-5505

Abstract

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 provides people with criminal records protection from discrimination once their criminal record becomes 'spent'. In this article, I highlight how media reports are increasingly available online and often mean spent convictions continue to be accessible to employers and others. However, I also look at a landmark case in 2014 that established a 'right to be forgotten', which enables people to ask for search results to be delisted from internet search engines. I examine to what extent this helps people with convictions.