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.

What does conditional discharge mean?

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.

Is a conditional discharge considered a conviction?

Although a conditional discharge is not a conviction, it's still a statement of guilt or no contest, which can affect things like traveling abroad or getting a job during the time period the record is affected.