UK Act of Parliament 1974 United Kingdom

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

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At a glance

Enforced by

DBS, Forestry Commission

What's here

3 compliance obligations, 1 practical guide · 2 journeys

Penalty landscape

2 of 3 obligations carry imprisonment (6 months). 1 carries different penalties — flagged in the list below.

Who this Act binds

Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.

  • Any Person 3

Step-by-step journeys using this legislation

Walkthroughs that take you from a real business situation to compliance.

Relevant guidance

Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.

Supporting — topic alignment

1 guides

Other Acts binding the same actors

For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.

Any Person also bound by 749 other Acts (top 5 shown)

What this Act requires

Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.

Schedules

Browse 3 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
s.009

Unauthorised disclosure of spent cautions

51 weeks imprisonment
  • Unlawfully disclose or obtain a person's spent caution Any Person
s.009

Unauthorised disclosure of spent alternatives to prosecution: Scotland

6 months imprisonment
  • Improperly obtain or disclose spent Scottish criminal records Any Person
Browse 25 other sections — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.005

Table A – disclosure periods: ordinary cases

s.005

Table B – disclosure periods: service disciplinary sentences

s.005

Disclosure period: caution for good behaviour

s.005

Disclosure period: particular court orders

s.005

Disclosure period: adjournment or deferral

s.005

Disclosure period for certain mental health orders

s.005

Disclosure period: compulsion orders

s.005

Disclosure period: orders relating to juvenile offenders

s.005

Disclosure period: service disciplinary orders

s.005

Sentences to which no disclosure period applies

s.008

Protection afforded to spent cautions

s.008

Protection afforded to spent alternatives to prosecution

s.008

Protection afforded to spent alternatives to prosecution: Scotland

s.008

Modification of section 8B and schedule 3: Scotland

s.010

Order-making powers: Scottish Ministers

Read the full Act on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Official guidance

Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.

Enforcement and responsible bodies

The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.

DBS

Primary

Disclosure and Barring Service

Provides criminal record checks (Basic, Standard, and Enhanced) for employers and organisations. Maintains the children's and adults' barred lists. Employers in regulated …

Forestry Commission

Government department responsible for protecting, expanding, and promoting the sustainable management of woodlands in England. Issues felling licences, administers woodland creation grants, …

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Regulators

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