What is a conviction? How long does a criminal record last?

If you've previously been convicted of an offence or have had other interactions with the criminal justice system, you might be wondering whether you have a "criminal record".

Having a criminal record can severely limit many aspects of life including potential career options as well as the ability to travel to certain countries.

Here's what you need to know.

WHAT IS A CONVICTION?

Generally, when we speak of a "criminal record" we're talking about the kind of history discoverable through a National Police Check or a Working With Children Check.

These checks are generally restricted to "disclosable court outcomes". A disclosable court outcome can include:

• Convictions for criminal offences, which are not "spent" (see below).