Dispute an AccessNI certificate
If you think any information on your certificate is wrong or shouldn’t be there, you can raise a dispute with AccessNI. How your dispute is handled depends on the level of criminal record check and what information you are disputing.
Time limit for disputing a certificate
If you disagree with information on your disclosure certificate, you must raise a dispute within 90 days of AccessNI issuing the certificate.
When to raise a dispute
You can raise a dispute with AccessNI if:
- personal information on your basic disclosure certificate is incorrect
- criminal record information disclosed on the AccessNI certificate is inaccurate or does not belong to you
- police information on an enhanced disclosure certificate is incorrect
Incorrect personal information
If there is incorrect personal information on your basic disclosure certificate like your name, you can raise a dispute.
AccessNI will review your certificate and check your disclosure application. If the mistake was caused by AccessNI, they will issue an accurate certificate for free.
If a mistake was caused by incorrect information provided by you, your employer or the organisation that submitted the disclosure application, you will need a new disclosure certificate.
Incorrect criminal record information
If there is incorrect criminal record information on your disclosure certificate, you can raise a dispute.
AccessNI will review your certificate and if the information is inaccurate, AccessNI will amend and re-issue your disclosure certificate for free.
Incorrect police information about you
You can raise a dispute if the police have provided incorrect information about you on an enhanced disclosure certificate or if police information shouldn't have been disclosed or isn’t relevant to the job/position you are applying for.
If you dispute the certificate for any of those reasons, AccessNI will ask the police to review their decision.
AccessNI will amend and reissue your certificate free if the police agree that the information should not be there. If the police believe the information should still be there, but that their disclosure should be written differently, they will contact you.
If you agree with the new wording, AccessNI will reissue your certificate free of charge. If you don’t agree with the police decision AccessNI will send your dispute to the Independent Monitor for review.
Depending on the level of disclosure check, you or your employer will need to complete a new disclosure application and pay the fee.
You can ask someone to raise a dispute on your behalf, they should email AccessNI at ani@accessni.gov.uk providing details of the applicant’s name and AccessNI reference number.
How to raise a dispute
To raise a dispute, you need to log into your nidirect account.
You will have an option to view, share or dispute/appeal your disclosure certificate. Select ‘dispute’ and provide all the relevant information requested on screen before submitting to AccessNI.
Independent Monitor
If you don't agree with the police decision, AccessNI will send your dispute to the Independent Monitor for review.
You must raise a dispute with AccessNI before it can be referred to the Independent Monitor.
The Independent Monitor will consider your case. They can ask the police:
- to review your dispute again
- for information they have considered as part of their decision to disclose
- the reason why this information was put on your enhanced certificate
Once your case has been reviewed, the Independent Monitor will decide whether the police information should stay the same, be amended or be removed.
If the Independent Monitor decides that the information should be amended or removed, AccessNI will re-issue your certificate free.
If the Independent Monitor decides that the police information should not be amended or removed, AccessNI will tell you about this decision. Your certificate will not be changed.
The Independent Monitor's decision on your case is final. You can't appeal their decision.
You can apply for a judicial review through the courts if you still feel that both the police and the Independent Monitor have made the wrong decision. You should ask a solicitor for legal advice about doing this.
Resolving a dispute
AccessNI aims to respond to 90 per cent of all disputes within 21 calendar days.
Sometimes police may need your fingerprints to resolve a dispute. When fingerprints are needed for identification, AccessNI will explain what happens.