Parliament has given a third reading to the Criminal Records (Expungement of Convictions for Historical Homosexual Offences) Bill.

The bill will become law on the day after it receives the Royal Assent.

It provides an expungement scheme for convictions for an historical homosexual offence if the conduct constituting the offence - if engaged in when the application for expungement was made - would not constitute an offence under the laws of New Zealand.

A person convicted of an historical homosexual offence, or their representative, may apply to have the conviction expunged.

A successful application for expungement will entitle the convicted person to declare that they have no such conviction under New Zealand law, and the conviction will no longer appear on a criminal history check. There is no entitlement to compensation for anyone who has their conviction expunged.