Background
4.The Government published the White Paper Protecting the Public: strengthening protection against sex offenders and reforming the law on sexual offences (Cm 5668) in November 2002. It is available on the Home Office website at www.sexualoffencesbill.homeoffice.gov.uk. The White Paper set out the Government’s intentions for reforming the law on sexual offences and for strengthening measures to protect the public from sexual offending. The Government’s proposals were based on the recommendations made by two review teams and subsequent public consultation. The recommendations made by the review teams were published in two documents: Review of Part 1 of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 (2001) and Setting the Boundaries (2000).