Guilty until proven innocent.

The Times tells us that adults banned from working with children under the Government’s vetting and barring database will have limited right of appeal and must wait 10 years to have their cases reconsidered.

Case workers can take into account newspaper stories and tip-offs from the public, raising the prospect that careers could be ruined on the basis of malicious allegations. If ISA staff think someone may be a danger in the future, they are allowed to take into account their personal beliefs and private life when deciding whether or not to bar them. Having “anti-social views” or an “impulsive, chaotic, unstable lifestyle” will count against applicants.

According to the ISA, “Assessing whether something happened on the ‘balance of probabilities’ means, simply, whether it is ‘more likely than not’ that something happened.” Applicants will then have three months in which to launch an independent appeal to a body called the Upper Chamber, which will comprise a judge and two “non-legal members”.

Now who checks the case workers? Also, as with terrorists/freedom fighters, without clear definition 'anti-social views' are totally subjective.

Yet another bureaucratic scenario is being created whereby a person's life and career will be dependent on all the correct boxes being ticked and not having incorrect thoughts.

Logically, if this sort of vetting is required even for volunteers then surely there should be a database for parents and those that fail should not be allowed to have children, for the family is where most abuse occurs.