Amendment to police & crime bill

[Radio4ordie]

Apologies if this is already a thread…
Anyone seen the amendment relating to sex offenders changing aspects of their identity?

Thoughts?

Will be interesting to see if the review only looks at deed poll changes, or whether it will also look at name changes via the GRC route.

twitter.com/SarahChampionMP/status/1412100690399436800

Ah, Sarah only talks about changes by deed poll, ignoring the elephant in the room

Oh ffs.

My understanding is that as part of the GRC application process, a person has to prove they've been using their new name for at least two years, so I don't quite understand "name changes via the GRC route"?

The guidance is, as always, not entirely clear.

You don't always need a deed poll to use a different name deedpolloffice.com/change-name/other-ways-to-change-your-name

So someone could use a different name for some purposes without one, then get a GRC

If you’ve been issued a fullGRC, then this will be sufficient evidence of your change of name (and gender, for passport purposes), and you won’t need a deed poll.

deedpolloffice.com/advice/transgender#gender-recognition-certificate

Surely the point is that sex offenders should report to the police that they have changed their names. This applies just as much to someone transitioning as anyone else. I don't see how it can be limited to deed poll changes alone. It would be wide open for sex offenders to use the transitioning route as another loophole.

@Imnobody4

Surely the point is that sex offenders should report to the police that they have changed their names. This applies just as much to someone transitioning as anyone else. I don't see how it can be limited to deed poll changes alone. It would be wide open for sex offenders to use the transitioning route as another loophole.

For sure. I think the discussion point here is the (positive) news that further protections will hopefully be brought in to avoid criminals slipping through the net. I hope it doesn't turn into a conversation about how many trans people may or may not be criminals.

I think the point is that at the moment a person must provide a 'primary identity document' being birth/adoption cert, passport, driving licence or residence permit.

But apparently, the police do not check with the DVLA or the passport office whether the individual has changed their name.

This seems utterly bizarre, and bordering on the unbelievable, but I have not seen proof that the police do check, and this and other conversations that people have had with DBS suggest that at the moment this is indeed the case.

Clearly, criminals will exploit loopholes. This seems a particularly simple one to close.

It would be silly not to close it for everything, so we will have to wait and see.

A GRC would be needed to change the birth certificate, it would therefore appear sensible to also check whether the indicidual has been issued with a GRC.

If self ID went through, the GRC would be a massive loophole in this system. As it is, it is a small one compared to passport/driving licence changes.

@Radio4ordie

Apologies if this is already a thread… Anyone seen the amendment relating to sex offenders changing aspects of their identity?

Thoughts?

There are many ways to ensure sex offenders aren't able to alter their personal details in a wily nily fashion. Sitting back and accepting that your right to protest be curtailed in the hope that the details of the bill gets one over on a group you ain't too fond of is in my opinion short sighted to say the least.

The simplest solution could be that anyone wishing to change their name for any reason (including marriage) has to be subjected to a self funded DBS. (there will be usual exemptions based on safety and financial situation to help). We can now ensure some sort of level playing field where the cheques and balances apply to everyone.

After all, we don't want to sustain a situation where Penelope Jackson-Smythe (made up please don'tget offended if this us you) of a small village in the middle of nowhere, who, despite presenting as a person at the centre of the local churches endeavours and all the great community stuff such as country markets and cake sales has a liking for teenage schoolboys.

Of course, I Agree that trans people should be subject to these requirements too because they are just human beings like the rest of society.

🤣 Anyone else laughing their socks off at the ambitiously usernamed one’s effort to describe what he thinks is an average Mumsnetter and then smear her?

Every time I read it I start laughing all over again.