Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill 2018

Public bill · Private Member · Introduced

Expands Ireland’s spent-convictions rules so more people can move on from a past conviction without always having to disclose it. It would let more offences qualify as spent, allow up to two convictions to be covered in most cases, and tie the waiting period to the seriousness of the sentence rather than using one fixed seven-year rule; younger adults aged 18 to 24 would get shorter waiting periods and, in some cases, an extra chance for a conviction to become spent. It also allows a review of the changes after two years and updates Garda vetting rules to match.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to amend and extend the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Disclosures) Act 2016 to provide for broadening the range of convictions which may be regarded as spent convictions, to provide for proportionality in determining the period before a conviction becomes spent, and to provide for related matters.

Last updated 20 March 2026