Legal profession police checks in Australia

Australia's legal industry is large, generating over $26.8 billion in revenue between 2021 and 2022. The sector also provides many employment opportunities for a fulfilling career. Examples include paralegal, legal assistant, lawyer or judge, court messenger, law firm administrator and lots more.

A police check helps to determine a person's disclosable criminal history. Over the years, police checks have become a standard part of background checks during most employers' hiring process - and the legal profession is no exception.

While there are different types of background checks, the nationally coordinated criminal history check (NCCHC) tends to be the background check of choice in Australia's legal industry. The NCCHC contains Disclosable Court Outcomes (DCOs) of an individual.

DCOs are criminal records that can be revealed based on a state or territory's Spent Convictions Scheme and information release policies.

DCOs typically include criminal convictions and sentences, pending charges, traffic offences, indictable violations, findings of guilt and unspent convictions.

In a scenario where you have no disclosable offence, a NCCHC returns a No Disclosable Court Outcomes (NDCO) result.

Getting a police check as part of the application for a practising certificate in Australia is straightforward.

Nationally coordinated criminal history checks in Australia are coordinated by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC). They work with accredited bodies and the Australian Police Forces to make police checking services available to Australians.

To apply for a police check, you must apply through your means of choice.

The application form involves filling in some personal information like name, date of birth, address history, as well as stating the purpose of the check. You must also upload the required identification documents and pay the application fee.

Here are more details on this process:

Accredited agencies like the Australian National Character Check (ANCC) provide police checking services. You can promptly obtain an NCCHC by completing the online application form and paying the base fee ($52.90 + GST).

The processing process typically takes 24 hours for 70% of applications and 15+ days for 30% of applications.

Most police stations across Australia also provide a police check service. All you need to do is complete a paper based or online application.

Australian National Character Check is an accredited ACIC agency that provides accurate, prompt, and affordable nationally coordinated criminal history checks to legal practitioners and other professionals across Australia through its

The individual portal is suited for individuals seeking a background check for themselves.

ANCC's online application process makes it easy to obtain an NCCHC certificate online. The results are dispatched via email when available.

For businesses (e.g. law firms) seeking to assess the character of their candidate pool, ANCC's Business Portal provides an easy means for them to conduct bulk background checks.

The business portal makes it easy for law firms to track, monitor, and assess the criminal record of their employees. However, law firms can use the business portal only after ANCC has approved them.

If you'd like to set up a business portal for your law firm, promptly contact ANCC's business and enterprise partnership team.