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Foreign Convictions

General discussions on joining & training in the Royal Marines Reserve.
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mickypan
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Foreign Convictions

Post by mickypan »

I'm hoping to join the RMR but I'm worried as I was recently arrested at the beginning of the year in Japan for possession of what is a class B drug in the UK. They take drug use much more seriously there and I was given a four year suspended sentence with no actual prison time and deported. I'm not a habitual drug user by any means, it was a simple case of having a drunken night and doing something stupid. So my question is does the spent/unspent rules apply to foreign convictions and would this possibly bar me completely from joining? Thanks
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Hyperlithe
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Re: Foreign Convictions

Post by Hyperlithe »

When you say 'they take drug use more seriously there', do bear in mind that the military has a zero tolerance policy on drugs. When I joined the RAF I did 'fess up to having tried a couple of joints at uni, but that was 8 years prior and they kind of expect a bit of experimentation when you're a student. Doing it in a country that you know is tougher on it than the UK is pretty dumb no matter how drunk you are (and the Japanese really don't like that either) and could be taken as evidence of poor judgement. However, everyone makes mistakes.
I don't know for sure what the score is with foreign convictions, but I'm fairly certain they would still be an issue, so be prepared to be questioned quite thoroughly about it...
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mickypan
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Re: Foreign Convictions

Post by mickypan »

I'll be the first to admit it was dumb and wasn't trying to make excuses. I'm aware of the zero tolerance policy and will have no problem complying with it, this really was a one off event. I was more concerned if I would just be wasting their time if it would result in an obvious barring.
Thanks for your reply
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