Wouldn’t be shared unless it was relevant. Lots of people have previous and you don’t find out until after the verdict that they do
I thought previous is now shared in the courts
in the past it wasn't but to many were getting away with the same serious offence so now your previous is presented
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As a defendant
During the trial of a criminal charge, reference to previous convictions (and therefore to spent convictions) can arise in a number of ways. The most common is when a bad character application is made under the Criminal Justice Act 2003. Much of this depends on whether you make a point as part of your case about your character – i.e. if you state you are of good character, the other side would be entitled to adduce evidence of your bad character in the form of your previous convictions. When considering bad character applications under the 2003 Act, regard should always be had to the general principles of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
The court must be provided with a statement of the defendant’s record for the purposes of sentence. The record supplied should contain all previous convictions, but those which are spent should, so far as practicable, be marked as such. No one should refer in open court to a spent conviction without the authority of the judge, which authority should not be given unless the interests of justice so require. When passing sentence the judge should make no reference to a spent conviction unless it is necessary to do so for the purpose of explaining the sentence to be passed
If you are due to appear in court as a defendant in a trial, you should speak to your solicitor about whether they think that the proceedings will bring up your previous convictions. They are in the best position to advise in relation to your specific case.
However, it is worth bearing in mind that court proceedings are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders, and can therefore disclose spent convictions (subject to above).