<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discharge (sentence)</span>

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Discharge (sentence)

<p>A <b>discharge</b> is a type of <a href="/en/Sentence_(law)" title="Sentence (law)" class="wl">sentence</a> imposed by a <a href="/en/Court" title="Court" class="wl">court</a> whereby no punishment is imposed.</p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Court sentence with no punishment</div>
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.sidebar{width:100%!important;clear:both;float:none!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important}}</style><table class="sidebar nomobile nowraplinks plainlist"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-title"><a href="/en/Criminal_procedure" title="Criminal procedure" class="wl">Criminal procedure</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-above" style="font-weight:normal; padding:0 0 0.6em;">
Criminal trials and convictions</td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading notheme" style="background:#aaddff; color:#000;">
Rights of the accused</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Right_to_a_fair_trial" title="Right to a fair trial" class="wl">Fair trial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Pre-trial" title="Pre-trial" class="mw-redirect wl">Pre-trial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Speedy_trial" title="Speedy trial" class="wl">Speedy trial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Jury_trial" title="Jury trial" class="wl">Jury trial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Right_to_counsel" title="Right to counsel" class="wl">Counsel</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Presumption_of_innocence" title="Presumption of innocence" class="wl">Presumption of innocence</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Exclusionary_rule" title="Exclusionary rule" class="wl">Exclusionary rule</a><sup><small>1</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Self-incrimination" title="Self-incrimination" class="wl">Self-incrimination</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Double_jeopardy" title="Double jeopardy" class="wl">Double jeopardy</a><sup><small>2</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Bail" title="Bail" class="wl">Bail</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Appeal" title="Appeal" class="wl">Appeal</a></li></ul>
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<a href="/en/Verdict" title="Verdict" class="wl">Verdict</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Conviction" title="Conviction" class="wl">Conviction</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Acquittal" title="Acquittal" class="wl">Acquittal</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Not_proven" title="Not proven" class="wl">Not proven</a><sup><small>3</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Directed_verdict" title="Directed verdict" class="mw-redirect wl">Directed verdict</a></li></ul>
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</tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading notheme" style="background:#aaddff; color:#000;">
<a href="/en/Sentence_(law)" title="Sentence (law)" class="wl">Sentencing</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Mandatory_sentencing" title="Mandatory sentencing" class="wl">Mandatory</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Suspended_sentence" title="Suspended sentence" class="wl">Suspended</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Custodial_sentence" title="Custodial sentence" class="wl">Custodial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Periodic_detention" title="Periodic detention" class="wl">Periodic</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Discharge_(sentence)" title="Discharge (sentence)" class="wl">Discharge</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Sentencing_guidelines" title="Sentencing guidelines" class="wl">Guidelines</a></li></ul>
</div>
<ul><li><a href="/en/Totality_principle" title="Totality principle" class="wl">Totality</a><sup><small>5,<span>&nbsp;</span>6</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Dangerous_offender" title="Dangerous offender" class="wl">Dangerous offender</a><sup><small>4,<span>&nbsp;</span>5</small></sup></li></ul>
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Cruel_and_unusual_punishment" title="Cruel and unusual punishment" class="wl">Cruel and unusual punishment</a></li></ul>
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Imprisonment" title="Imprisonment" class="wl">Imprisonment</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Life_imprisonment" title="Life imprisonment" class="wl">Life imprisonment</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Indefinite_imprisonment" title="Indefinite imprisonment" class="wl">Indefinite imprisonment</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Three-strikes_law" title="Three-strikes law" class="wl">Three-strikes law</a></li></ul>
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Post-sentencing</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Parole" title="Parole" class="wl">Parole</a></li>
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<li><a href="/en/Life_imprisonment_in_England_and_Wales" title="Life imprisonment in England and Wales" class="wl">Tariff</a><span>&nbsp;</span><sup><small>6</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Life_imprisonment_in_England_and_Wales" title="Life imprisonment in England and Wales" class="wl">Life licence</a><sup><small>6</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Criminal_justice" title="Criminal justice" class="wl">Criminal justice</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Exoneration" title="Exoneration" class="wl">Exoneration</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Habitual_offender" title="Habitual offender" class="wl">Habitual offender</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Miscarriage_of_justice" title="Miscarriage of justice" class="wl">Miscarriage of justice</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Pardon" title="Pardon" class="wl">Pardon</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Recidivism" title="Recidivism" class="wl">Recidivism</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Rehabilitation_(penology)" title="Rehabilitation (penology)" class="wl">Rehabilitation</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Restorative_justice" title="Restorative justice" class="wl">Restorative justice</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Sex_offender_registry" title="Sex offender registry" class="wl">Sex offender registry</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Sexually_violent_predator_laws" title="Sexually violent predator laws" class="wl">Sexually violent predator laws</a><sup><small>1</small></sup></li></ul>
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Related areas of law</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
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<ul><li><a href="/en/Civil_procedure" title="Civil procedure" class="wl">Civil procedure</a></li>
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<li><a href="/en/Criminal_law" title="Criminal law" class="wl">Criminal law</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Evidence_(law)" title="Evidence (law)" class="wl">Evidence</a></li></ul>
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Portals</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;;padding-bottom:0.75em;">
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<ul><li><span class="noviewer"><a href="/en/File:Balance,_by_David.svg" class="mw-file-description image wl"><img loading="lazy"alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/30px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png" decoding="async" data-file-width="606" data-file-height="558" data-file-type="drawing" height="28" width="30" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/46px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/61px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png 2x"></a></span><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Portal:Law" title="Portal:Law" class="wl">Law<span> </span>portal</a></li></ul>
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<ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>1</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Courts_of_the_United_States" title="Courts of the United States" class="mw-redirect wl">US courts</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>2</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span>Not in <a href="/en/Courts_of_England_and_Wales" title="Courts of England and Wales" class="wl">English/Welsh courts</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>3</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Courts_of_Scotland" title="Courts of Scotland" class="wl">Scottish courts</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>4</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span>English/Welsh courts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>5</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Courts_of_Canada" title="Courts of Canada" class="mw-redirect wl">Canadian courts</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>6</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Courts_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="Courts of the United Kingdom" class="mw-redirect wl">UK courts</a></span></li></ul>
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<p>An <b>absolute discharge</b> is an unconditional discharge whereby the court finds that a crime has technically been committed but that any punishment of the defendant would be inappropriate and the case is closed. In some jurisdictions, an absolute discharge means there is no conviction on the defendant's record, despite the plea of the defendant.</p>

<p>A <b>conditional discharge</b> is an order made by a criminal court whereby an offender will not be sentenced for an offence unless a further offence is committed within a stated period. Once the stated period has elapsed and no further offence is committed then the conviction may be removed from the defendant's record.</p>



A discharge is a type of sentence imposed by a court whereby no punishment is imposed. An absolute discharge is an unconditional discharge whereby the court finds that a crime has technically been committed but that any punishment of the defendant would be inappropriate and the case is closed. In some jurisdictions, an absolute discharge means there is no conviction on the defendant's record, despite the plea of the defendant. A conditional discharge is an order made by a criminal court whereby an offender will not be sentenced for an offence unless a further offence is committed within a stated period. Once the stated period has elapsed and no further offence is committed then the conviction may be removed from the defendant's record. 