View the latest information on this bill on Parliament’s website.
The bill was presented to Parliament on 11 February 2011. It:
- brings in a new framework for police retention of fingerprints and DNA data, and requires schools to get parents’ consent before processing children’s biometric information
- introduces a code of practice for surveillance camera systems and provides for judicial approval of certain surveillance activities by local authorities
- provides for a code of practice to cover officials’ powers of entry, with these powers being subject to review and repeal
- outlaws wheel-clamping on private land
- introduces a new regime for police stops and searches under the Terrorism Act 2000 and reduces the maximum pre-charge detention period under that Act from 28 to 14 days
- restricts the scope of the ‘vetting and barring’ scheme for protecting vulnerable groups and makes changes to the system of criminal records checks
- enables those with convictions for consensual sexual relations between men aged 16 or over (which have since been decriminalised) to apply to have them disregarded
- extends Freedom of Information rights by requiring datasets to be available in a re-usable format
- repeals provisions (never brought into force) which would have allowed trial without a jury in complex fraud cases
- removes time restrictions on when marriage or civil partnership ceremonies may take place.
JUSTICE Briefing – House of Lords Grand Committee – December 2011
JUSTICE Briefing – House of Lords Second Reading – November 2011
JUSTICE Briefing – House of Commons Committee Stage, suggested amendments – April 2011
JUSTICE Briefing – House of Commons Second Reading – March 2011