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Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

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  1. Introductory Text

  2. 1. Protected persons and spent convictions.

  3. 2. Rehabilitation of persons dealt with in service disciplinary proceedings.

  4. 3. Special provision with respect to certain disposals by children’s hearings under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968.

  5. 4. Effect of becoming a protected person.

  6. 5.Rehabilitation periods for particular sentences.

  7. 5A.Table A – disclosure periods: ordinary cases

  8. 5B.Table B – disclosure periods: service disciplinary sentences

  9. 5C.Disclosure period: caution for good behaviour

  10. 5D.Disclosure period: particular court orders

  11. 5E.Disclosure period: adjournment or deferral

  12. 5F.Disclosure period for certain mental health orders

  13. 5G.Disclosure period: compulsion orders

  14. 5H.Disclosure period: orders relating to juvenile offenders

  15. 5I.Disclosure period: service disciplinary orders

  16. 5J.Sentences to which no disclosure period applies

  17. 6.The disclosure period applicable to a conviction.

  18. 7.Limitations on rehabilitation under this Act, etc.

  19. 8. Defamation actions.

  20. 8A.Protection afforded to spent cautions

  21. 8AA.Protection afforded to spent alternatives to prosecution

  22. 8B.Protection afforded to spent alternatives to prosecution: Scotland

  23. 8C.Modification of section 8B and schedule 3: Scotland

  24. 9. Unauthorized disclosure of spent convictions.

  25. 9A.Unauthorised disclosure of spent cautions

  26. 9B.Unauthorised disclosure of spent alternatives to prosecution: Scotland

  27. 10. Orders.

  28. 10A.Order-making powers: Scottish Ministers

  29. 11. Citation, commencement and extent.

    1. Schedule 1

      Section 6(4): service disciplinary convictions

      1. 1.Any conviction for an offence mentioned in this Schedule is...

      2. Provisions of the Army Act 1955 and the Air Force Act 1955

        1. 2.Any offence under any of the provisions of the Army...

        2. 3.Any offence under section 68 (attempt to commit military offence)...

        3. 4.Any offence under section 68 (attempt to commit air-force offence)...

      3. Provisions of the Naval Discipline Act 1957

        1. 5.Any offence under any of the provisions of the Naval...

        2. 6.Any offence under section 40 (attempt to commit naval offence)...

      4. Provisions of the Armed Forces Act 2006

        1. 7.Any service offence within the meaning of the Armed Forces...

    2. SCHEDULE 2

      Protection for spent cautions

      1. Preliminary

        1. 1.(1) For the purposes of this Schedule a caution shall...

        2. 2.(1) In this Schedule “ ancillary circumstances ”, in relation...

      2. Protection relating to spent cautions and ancillary circumstances

        1. 3.(1) A person who is given a caution for an...

        2. 4.The Secretary of State may by order—

        3. 5.Nothing in paragraph 3 affects— (a) the operation of the...

        4. 6.(1) Section 7(2), (3) and (4) apply for the purposes...

    3. SCHEDULE 3

      PROTECTION FOR SPENT ALTERNATIVES TO PROSECUTION: SCOTLAND

      1. Preliminary

        1. 1.(1) For the purposes of this Act, an alternative to...

        2. 2.(1) In this Schedule, “ ancillary circumstances ”, in relation...

      2. Protection for spent alternatives to prosecution and ancillary circumstances

        1. 3.(1) A person who is given an alternative to prosecution...

        2. 4.(1) This paragraph applies where a person (“A”) is asked...

        3. 5.(1) An obligation imposed on a person (“A”) by a...

        4. 6.The Scottish Ministers may by order— (a) exclude or modify...

        5. 7.Paragraphs 3 to 5 do not affect—

        6. 8.(1) Section 7(2), (3) and (4) apply for the purpose...

        7. 9.(1) The powers conferred on the Scottish Ministers by—

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