 The Parliament of St. Lucia is giving offenders a second chance with the approval of the Criminal Records Rehabilitation of Offenders' Amendment Bill. Details in this report. Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Economic Development and the youth economy, Hon. Philip J. Pierre, at Tuesday's sitting of the House of Assembly, presented the Criminal Records Rehabilitation of Offenders' Amendment Bill for debate. The Prime Minister explained that the amendment serves as a response to the calls of many individuals, especially the youth who have been adversely affected by their criminal records. So what this bill sought to do, Mr. Speaker, is the bill sought seeks to amend the Criminal Records Rehabilitation of Offenders' Act and makes provision for certain criminal convictions of offenders to become spent and to be expunged by the records. Mr. Speaker, as I said before, criminal records have been used in society, criminal records have been used in society, and they prevent persons from holding a job, sometimes obtaining a license or even obtaining a visa. Having a criminal record expunged allows a person to put the past behind and get a second chance in life, as the stigma attached to a criminal record is removed, leaving the person with a clean court record. This act makes this new life possible. The Prime Minister explained the amendments providing a breakdown of the process. By establishing a rehabilitation of offenders' board that has the statutory power of determining whether conviction can be expunged or not, in order for conviction to expunge, the conviction must be spent and must carry a turn of imprisonment, not exceeding three years, albeit a non-custodial sentence. As a result, a convicted person must satisfy the criteria set out in the act, having regard to the relevant rehabilitation period under the act. Therefore, under rehabilitation of offenders' board being satisfied, the conviction will be spent and the convicted person will be deemed rehabilitated for the purposes of this act. It is only at this stage that the person will make an application to the board for the expungement of a criminal conviction from the records. In relation to a person currently served in a sentence with the speaker, the act provides that the person must have served or otherwise undergone or complied with any sentence imposed on him or her in respect of that conviction, in order to be deemed a rehabilitated person in respect of that offence. This means that the person currently served in a sentence must complete their sentence in order to qualify for expungements. However, the act also recognizes that the Governor-General can, on the advice of the Committee on the Paragraphic of Mosey, grant a pardon to any person convicted of an offence. It is fundamental to note that a pardon only takes place where a person is subject to a sentence and a pardon cannot, in effect, expunge a conviction from the criminal records of that person. Therefore, as it relates to a person serving a sentence, a pardon must be granted before the sentence can be expunged with the speaker. That was Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Economic Development and the Youth Economy, Honourable Philip J. Pierre, speaking there at the sitting of the House of Assembly on Tuesday 31st August 2021. From the Government Information Service, I am General Norville.