Guidance published on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

Thursday, 19 November 2020 00:24

The Ministry of Justice has published guidance explaining the difference between spent and unspent convictions, outlines which convictions must be declared when applying for jobs and any exceptions. Documents Guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 PDF, 173KB, 16...Request free trial

The Ministry of Justice has published guidance explaining the difference between spent and unspent convictions, outlines which convictions must be declared when applying for jobs and any exceptions.

Documents

Guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

PDF, 173KB, 16 pages

Draft guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975 (For information only, comes into force on 28 November 2020)

PDF, 658KB, 13 pages

Details

This guidance is written to help people giving advice and information to ex-offenders so they understand:

the difference between spent and unspent convictions
how long before different kinds of conviction are considered to be spent
which convictions must be declared when applying for jobs or insurance
which spent cautions or convictions must still be declared

The document was updated after the Legal Aid and Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

Help for job applicants

If you have had a past conviction and are applying for a job, read this guide.

Help for employers

If you are an employer who wants to know what checks to make when someone applies for a job, read this guide.