Criminal records are the legal records accompanying nearly every man, penned down by the relevant state authorities regarding the legal offences of the person in question. These records are perused by nearly every company before employing that man. The criteria regarding criminal records vary widely; no two countries have the same principles, and differences might be present within the same country as well.
Most jurisdictions prefer to put into the record those offences which have been recognized by the court and proved to be caused by the man in question. Others tend to include every tiny detail, from cars speeding to unproven allegations. The latter practice is highly debatable; it mars the reputation of a person without any reason at all.
In Australia, the civilians are allowed to acquire, through the local police, national records to determine their own criminal records. Such a practice has the benefit of timely corrections in the records.
Brazilian trends include identifying the people with a history of criminal records. Such people have stamped identity cards.
Germany does not rely on local police only. The approval of criminal records requires the consent of the Federal government; otherwise they are declared invalid.
In the United Kingdom, no less than three organizations are involved in the compilation of legal offences. The records have not been made accessible to the common man, although a consent from the person concerned may allow a relaxation to be made. There, however, is one major exception to this: employment agencies are allowed to access the records, provided their motive is to check for eligibility criteria, which is made clear beforehand. Unproven offences and allegations that were proven false are not made a part of documented criminal history.
United States of America rely on its multiple law agencies to compile this data. These agencies are allowed to make these records public, through the media or the internet, provided those offenses are view-able only to the adults. Therefore, such broadcasts and updates are marked PG, and sometimes require age verification before the information opens up. While the agencies have written records, separate databases reside in every police station’s computer as well. Through the many grass roots which hold the information, USA currently has the most intricate and well managed system: information entered once is never lost.
These records hold paramount significance, not only for employment but for other reasons as well. A criminal history may indicate a social danger or a psychologically upset individual who can be treated therapeutically.