Rehabilitation is the legal erasure of the consequences of a criminal conviction. It is a system that grants an individual previously convicted of a crime the opportunity to remove the future effects of that conviction, thereby restoring the reputation tarnished by the prior ruling. This facilitates the individual’s reintegration into society after fulfilling specific legal conditions designed to ensure that the convicted person has become worthy of rehabilitation.
Definition of Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is a judicial measure applicable to individuals convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor. A ruling granting rehabilitation is issued by the Court of Assize (Criminal Court) having jurisdiction over the convicted person’s place of residence, upon the latter’s request, pursuant to Article 536 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
General Amnesty
A general amnesty is an act of public authority that seeks to draw a veil of oblivion over certain criminal offenses, thereby nullifying any criminal proceedings that have been initiated or may be initiated, as well as any judgments rendered in relation to them. The authority competent to issue a general amnesty is the legislative branch.
