Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Criminal Convictions.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 March 2004

Tuesday, 23 March 2004

Ceisteanna (496)

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

493 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if there are circumstances in which the record of a minor conviction can be erased from a person’s record. [8629/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As the Deputy will be aware, a criminal conviction whether minor or otherwise, reflects a verdict of the courts. There is currently no provision for expunging a criminal conviction from the Garda criminal records.

However, the second programme of the Law Reform Commission for the period 2000 to 2007 proposes, as part of an examination of the law on privacy, to consider longevity of criminal records and expunging of certain offences from the records. I will consider any recommendations which the Law Reform Commission may make on the matter.

The Deputy may also be interested to know that under section 258 of the Children Act 2001, where a person has committed an offence, other than an offence triable in the Central Criminal Court, while under the age of 18 years and a period of three years has elapsed since the finding of guilt and that person has not been dealt with for an offence in that three year period, he or she will be treated for all purposes in law as a person who has not committed, been charged with, been prosecuted for, found guilty of or dealt with for the offence or offences which were the subject of the finding of guilt. That provision came into operation on 1 May 2002.

Barr
Roinn