Law reform report could see spent convictions wiped

A report examining the relevance of keeping certain very old criminal convictions on record will be launched today.

The Law Reform Commission’s Report on Spent Convictions will be introduced by Mr Justice Kevin Haugh, chair of the Garda Ombudsman Commission.

Under current law, records of criminal convictions of adults are permanent and the report examines whether some very old convictions might be looked on as being “spent” or no longer relevant for certain purposes.

The report sets out in detail the elements of the proposed spent convictions law and also includes a draft Spent Convictions Bill to implement the Commission’s recommendations.

This comes just days after Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan launched the Commission’s report on the reform of the Courts Acts.

The Consultation Paper was produced by the Commission as part of a Joint Project with the Courts Service and the Justice Department to consolidate into a single Courts Act the provisions which describe the jurisdiction of the Irish courts.