If you need a pardon, get one while you can
Posted May 27, 2011 8:07 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – One in seven Canadians has a criminal record; most are for minor offences. In many cases, they are part of the past, but if you want to shake that record for good, you should get a pardon while you can.
Topping the new Tory majority’s list of priorities is merging and approving their law and order bills in just over three months, and that includes pardons. Vancouver criminal defence lawyer Emmet Duncan says even a minor offence can haunt you with school, jobs, and travel:
“Oftentimes, there’s a split-decision made by a US border authority that [someone] can no longer enter the United States until they obtain a Waiver of Inadmissibility,” he explains. “[That] requires retaining an attorney in the United States.”
A pardon puts the past behind you, but the Ainsley Muller with Express Pardons says a large part of the Tory crime omni-bill will put forgiveness out of reach of some entirely, and make it a lot harder for others.
Muller says criminal records don’t just go away over time in this country. He also argues pardons work. Of the several hundred thousands issued since the ’70s, about 96 per cent are still in effect.
