Magistrates to get access to missing offender database

Magistrates' courts across England and Wales are to gain electronic access to one of the country's largest databases to help track down missing offenders who ignore fines and other court penalties.

The partnership between the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Department for Work and Pensions means that courts' staff will be able to instantly check the latest whereabouts of missing offenders who have changed address without notifying the courts, by accessing the DWP's electronic Customer Information System (CIS).

Whilst the database contains extensive records on about 85 million people, including defaulters who have moved abroad or died, magistrates' courts will only be able to access basic personal details such as name, address, date of birth and national insurance number.

Constitutional Affairs Minister Rt. Hon. Harriet Harman QC MP said: "One of the problems with fines enforcement is that it's difficult to get up-to-date information on where criminals are staying so it's hard for magistrates' courts to track them down quickly.

"But the courts will soon have access to a whole lot of information that they can't get any other way. This means they can catch up with offenders who have moved house and refuse to obey the court much more quickly and easily.

"It's a significant new tool that magistrates can use to make sure criminals don't get away with it and re-enforces our commitment to bringing them to justice and improving people's confidence in the criminal justice system. It shows that we're serious about chasing up criminals who don't respect the courts."

Magistrates' courts in Cleveland and Leicestershire will be the first to have read only access to the DWP database next week and national rollout should be complete by mid September.

It is anticipated that dedicated courts' staff will make up to 340,000 enquiries in total each year.

Magistrates' courts have already been given access to a credit reference agency database to help track down offenders.

Access to existing databases is part of a concerted effort to give courts the intelligence they need to track offenders' movements and make them comply.

(SP/GB)