What is a spent conviction?
A. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 sets out to make life easier for many people who have been convicted of a criminal offence, but then have had a period in which they have not committed any further offences. In general, the more severe a penalty is, the longer the rehabilitation period. Once a rehabilitation period has expired and no further offending has taken place, a conviction is considered to be ‘spent’. When assessing the suitability of a person for a position of trust, a potential employer is entitled to ask a job candidate to reveal all convictions, whether spent or not. This is to ensure that children and other vulnerable groups are adequately protected from those in positions of authority over them, e.g. a nurse who looks after children.
