Under section 38(1) of the Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW), the Children's Court is required to order the destruction of fingerprints, photographs and palm-prints held by NSW Police where a young person is found not guilty, or their matter is dismissed under s33(1)(a)(i) of the Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987.
Some destruction orders have not been made or processed as required during the period from August 2009 to March 2026. This may have delayed or prevented the destruction of records by NSW Police. For more information, please see the media release.
To address this issue, NSW Police and the Children's Court of NSW have identified affected cases. Where required, destruction orders have been made and the relevant records destroyed. Measures have been put in place to ensure destruction orders are issued for current and future cases, including improved court processes and daily system checks to ensure any missed orders are identified and issued.
If you believe you may have been affected and wish to obtain a copy of your order or make any other enquiry, please submit an enquiry through the online form:
A Children’s Court representative will respond to your enquiry.
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