A criminal record is a collection of your convictions, acquittals and pending cases. It shows your timeline of convictions, acquittals and pending cases over the course of your life. The Criminal Procedure Act provides for two different criminal records:
What does a criminal record contain?
Your criminal record is a document issued by the police that contains information on all your previous convictions. This means that it clearly shows all the criminal offences you’ve committed and any other offences where you were found guilty of breaking the law.
The document also includes information about arrests, charges, and summonses (if any).
Who can have access to my criminal record?
Your criminal record is a permanent record of your past convictions, charges, and cases. It may be released to the public and private companies, including:
- Police services
- Government agencies like Home Affairs or the Department of Social Development
- Private companies like banks or insurance providers
Sometimes, foreign governments can also access your criminal record.
Why are criminal records important?
Knowing your criminal record is important because it can affect your employment and travel. You need to know if your criminal record is clean or not.
What do I do if my criminal record is wrong or inaccurate?
If you believe your criminal record is incorrect or that it contains information about you that is not true, you may apply for a correction.
To do this, you will need to complete the application form and send it to the Criminal Records Center, which will then review your application and contact you should they require further information. You can find more information on applying for corrections on their website here: http://www.justice.gov.za/legislation-and-policy/criminal-justice/acts-and-regulations/.
If your conviction relates to an offence which was committed when you were under 18 years old, it’s possible that the court sentenced you in such a way that they suspended any sentence imposed until after some period had passed (usually five years). If this is the case, then there are certain procedures which must be followed before having your record expunged so as not to prejudice future employment prospects or visa applications etcetera; these processes are explained here: https://www.justice.gov.za/legislation-and-policy/criminal-justice/acts-and–regulations/.
Finally, if for whatever reason there was never any formal sanction imposed upon being convicted (for instance, if someone appealed their cases and won) then there may simply be no record at all relating back from those dates—but whether or not this applies in any situation; taking proactive steps towards removing oneself from such databases would probably be wise!
Can I erase my criminal record?
No. It is illegal to erase your criminal record, and the only way you can get around the fact that it exists is to move to another country. Your criminal record is part of your identity, and it should not be removed from your profile or life. The police issue criminal records as legal document that shows all cases you have been in court for, along with any punishments given because of those cases. These documents are public records and cannot be destroyed or erased without legal permission from the South African government.
Do crimes committed in another country show up on my South African criminal record?
In South Africa, if you have committed a crime in another country, it will not show up on your criminal record. This is because the South African police only keep track of crimes that were committed in South Africa. Thus, for example, if you were convicted for driving under the influence in America and then moved to South Africa permanently afterwards, your DUI conviction will not show up on your CR (Criminal Record). The same applies to other countries as well.
What is in a criminal record?
A criminal record is a document issued by the police. It contains the timeline of convictions, acquittals and pending cases of a person. You can access your own criminal record online via the South Africa Police Service website.
A criminal record explains your timeline of convictions, acquittals and pending cases. Do note that it doesn’t contain information about traffic fines or unpaid municipal bills. If you want to find out more about these types of records, visit our article on what does a credit report look like in South Africa?
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped you understand what a criminal record is and how to manage it. If your criminal record is incorrect, it’s important that you take steps to fix it as soon as possible. We hope this article will give you more knowledge about the process required to erase your criminal record – including what documents are needed, who can help with which aspect of erasure and whether or not there are any exemptions from having an erased record.
