Historical Sexual Offences (Pardons and Disregards) (Scotland) Bill 5 Part 3—Disregarding certain convictions for historical sexual offences (3) In particular— (a) no evidence is admissible in any proceedings before a judicial authority exercising its jurisdiction or functions in Scotland to prove that the person has done, or undergone, anything within subsection (2), and 5 (b) the person is not, in any such proceedings, to be asked (and, if asked, is not to be required to answer) any question relating to the person’s past which cannot be answered without acknowledging or referring to the conviction or any circumstances ancillary to it. (4) Where a question is put to a person, other than in such proceedings, seeking information 10 with respect to the previous convictions, offences, conduct or circumstances of any person— (a) the question is to be treated as not relating to any disregarded conviction, or any circumstances ancillary to it (and the answer to the question may be framed accordingly), and 15 (b) the person questioned is not to be subjected to any liability or otherwise prejudiced in law by reason of any failure to acknowledge or disclose that conviction or any circumstance ancillary to it in answering the question. (5) Any obligation imposed on any person by any enactment or rule of law, or by the provisions of any agreement or arrangement, to disclose any matters to any other person 20 is not to extend to requiring the disclosure of a disregarded conviction or any circumstances ancillary to it. (6) In this section, “proceedings before a judicial authority” includes, in addition to any court proceedings, proceedings before any tribunal, body or person having power by virtue of any enactment, rule of law, arbitration agreement, rules, custom or practice— 25 (a) to determine any question affecting the rights, privileges, obligations or liabilities of any person, or (b) to receive evidence affecting the determination of any such question. (7) For the purposes of this section, circumstances ancillary to a conviction are any circumstances of— 30 (a) the offence which was the subject of the conviction, (b) the conduct constituting the offence, (c) any process or proceedings preliminary to the conviction, (d) any sentence imposed in respect of the conviction, (e) any proceedings (whether by way of appeal or otherwise) for reviewing the 35 conviction or sentence, (f) anything done in pursuance of, or undergone in compliance with, any such sentence. 10 Removal of disregarded convictions from official records (1) Where a disregard for a conviction for a historical sexual offence has taken effect (see 40 sections 7(5) and 8(7)), the Scottish Ministers must— 6 Historical Sexual Offences (Pardons and Disregards) (Scotland) Bill Part 4—General (a) where they are the relevant record keeper in relation to any official records held by them, remove all references to the disregarded conviction contained in those official records (and, where the disregard has effect by virtue of section 8(7), give notice of the removal to the person who has the disregarded conviction), and 5 (b) require every other relevant record keeper to remove all references to the disregarded conviction contained in official records held by the keeper. (2) A relevant record keeper issued with a requirement under subsection (1)(b) must— (a) comply with the requirement as soon as reasonably practicable (but no earlier than the day on which the disregard takes effect), and 10 (b) give notice of the removal to the person who has the disregarded conviction. (3) The Scottish Ministers may, by regulations, prescribe the manner in which references to disregarded convictions are to be removed from official records in pursuance of this section. (4) Regulations may, in particular, provide that removal from records means recording with 15 the details of the conviction— (a) the fact that it is a disregarded conviction, and (b) the effect of it being a disregarded conviction. (5) A “relevant record keeper” means such person as may be prescribed in regulations made by the Scottish Ministers (and may, in particular, include the Scottish Ministers acting in 20 their capacity as the holder of official records of a type so prescribed). 11 Advisers (1) The Scottish Ministers may appoint persons to advise or assist...