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Plan to wipe clean criminal records for 'minor crimes'

Government wants to amend the Criminal Procedures Act to wipe out the criminal records of those who committed “minor crimes“‚ Justice Minister Michael Masutha said.

Masutha said in a briefing in Parliament that he would hold a “national consultative conference” this year to discuss amending the act.

“Given the fact that the 2008 amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act‚ which came into effect in May 2009‚ has effectively seen its sixth year this month‚ it is‚ perhaps‚ time to open dialogue on possible further amendments that will give more offenders a second chance in life‚” the government news agency reported.

“Our focus will remain on those who committed minor‚ and non-violent crimes. The idea is not to compromise public safety‚ but to enhance it‚” he said.

He went on to say that former offenders found it hard to reintegrate because of their criminal records.

“In numerous interactions with former offenders‚ who have remained law abiding citizens for years‚ the matter of criminal records and their detrimental effect on successful social reintegration has consistently been raised‚” he said.

The current process of presidential pardon was too slow moving‚ he said.

 “The real issue is about whether we can find a way to do that sooner than ten years because ten years may be a long time in the life of a young person. It is obviously a sensitive matter because on the one hand‚ society may feel they need to be protected because some person who has had a previous brush with the law is being unleashed into the community.

“We can’t deny people that opportunity to be re-integrated back into the community because if you deny them that‚ you are actually undermining your own programmes of restoring the positive side of their humanity‚” he said.

 

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