Denial of Driving License Issuance and Rehabilitation Measures

By Simone Spiazzi A possible reason for denying the issuance of a driver's license is having been convicted of the offenses outlined in Articles 73 and 74 of the consolidated text of d.P.R. No. 309/1990 (the so-called "Consolidated Drug Act"), which punish the production, trafficking, and illegal possession of narcotic or psychotropic substances, as well as the association aimed at the illegal trafficking of such substances. The prohibition is established by Article 120, paragraph 1, of the Highway Code, which, however, preserves "the effects of rehabilitative measures." But what does the law refer to when it speaks of "rehabilitative measures"? The answer is far from obvious. The saving clause seems to specifically refer to the institution of rehabilitation as outlined in Articles 178 and 179 of the Penal Code. Article 178 of the Penal Code states that "rehabilitation extinguishes accessory penalties and any other penal effects of the conviction."