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Bar Council: Study effects of making database public

Wednesday, 03 October 2007 12:05pm

Nrin Killing ©The Star (Used by permission)
by Shaila Koshy

KUALA LUMPUR: A holistic study must be done before a decision to make public the names of convicted paedophiles becomes policy, said the Bar Council.

“A proper study is important because we need a system that balances public interest with privacy,” said council vice-chairman Ragunath Kesavan.

He said while the rehabilitation of an offender included his ability to reintegrate into society once he had served the sentence, there was also a need to educate children on how to keep safe.

“We need input from experts to decide on whether offender information should be made public and to what extent that information should be accessible and by whom,” he said.

The first step should be to set up a separate register for paedophiles or sex offenders, he said.

On Jan 21, 2004, The Star reported that the Government was studying the need for a separate registry for sex offenders.

There was no further development but two weeks ago, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil announced that paedophiles would be required to wear a special chip or bracelet after their release so police could monitor their movements and information on the offenders would be available on the Internet.

Ragunath said institutions for children like schools and childcare centres should have access to a register of sex offenders so that they could a check prospective employees.

“We will have to look at what particulars should be made available on the register and what types of convictions should be registered.

“We need to examine the logistics that will be necessary to monitor the activities of released sex offenders,” he added.

The British Government, on June 13, unveiled plans for families to be informed about paedophiles who may pose a specific threat to their children but those provided with such information can be committing a public order offence if they disclose it to another person.