Q. Who can be told about a person’s criminal record?

Criminal records are confidential.  The Act makes it an offence for anyone with access to criminal records to disclose spent convictions unless authorised to do so. The Act makes it a more serious offence to obtain such information by means of fraud, dishonesty or bribe. The Data Protection Act 1984, as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, also makes it an offence to procure or supply confidential computer data.

It might be possible for a person with spent convictions to sue for libel anyone making allegations about spent convictions, if he or she can prove that the allegation was made with malice.