Basic Legal Knowledge
Procedures during criminal hearings
Juvenile Court
Arresting procedure, my rights and obligations
Free or subsidized legal assistance
Protection for victims
Punishment and sentencing options
Criminal records and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Ordinance
Implications of Spent Convictions
Subject to some important exceptions in section 4 of the RHO, where a conviction is spent, no evidence tending to show that the person was convicted in Hong Kong is admissible in any proceedings in Hong Kong. Subject to the exceptions in section 4 of the RHO, the conviction, or its non-disclosure, is not a lawful or proper ground for dismissal or exclusion from any office, profession, occupation or employment or for prejudice against that person in the person's office, profession, occupation or employment. This means that an employee with a spent conviction must not be treated less favourably than other employees because of that conviction.
Section 3(3) of the RHO states that previous convictions, even if spent, can come into evidence on sentencing for subsequent offences. It is important that the court has the full picture of an offender before sentencing.