10 November 2006

Government to ensure that crime does not pay

The government is proposing to introduce tough new measures to prevent convicted criminals from profiting from published accounts of their crimes, Criminal Justice Minister David Hanson has today said.

A consultation paper entitled 'Making sure that crime doesn't pay' has been published in a bid to create laws to allow the seizure of money paid to convicted criminals who "sell" their story to the press, or seek to profit by publishing books about their crimes.

The consultation will put forward four proposals:

Making receipt by and/or payment to convicted criminals of money for publications about their crimes a criminal offence
Introducing a new civil scheme for the recovery of profits based on the civil recovery provisions in the Proceeds of Crime Act
Extending the self-regulatory approach governing the press to other groups such as book publishers and film-makers
Doing nothing

The consultation will close on Friday February 9 2007.

This is part of a UK-wide consultation and the proposals favoured by the government are targeted at convicted criminals and will in no way affect the publishers of papers, magazines, and books.

The government has no desire to stop the publication of such stories, but believes that it is morally reprehensible that criminals should be able to earn money by speaking about the crimes they have committed.

Commenting on the announcement, David Hanson said: "It is wrong for convicted criminals to profit from their crimes, whether directly from the proceeds of the crime itself or indirectly through cashing in on the story of their crime.

"It is not only distasteful but contrary to the principles of natural justice that they should be able to exploit for financial gain crimes which have devastated the lives of victims and their families

"We want to prevent further hurt and distress to victims and their families who have already been deeply traumatised by their unwanted exposure to dreadful experiences."

The Minister concluded: "But at the same time we do not want any prohibition on profit to discourage or prevent publications which may help us to understand why criminal acts are committed, contribute to the rehabilitation of ex-offenders or constitute genuine academic research."

(EF)