If you do have a conviction on record, you could be denied a job, the ability to rent certain properties, and the ability to travel across borders. This is why those with convictions wish to be rid of them. The idea of one mistake long ago haunting the rest of your life is a discouraging thought. 

Some may believe that in time, convictions will just disappear. While in some cases this can happen, there are many factors that are tied to those cases. 

With all of this in mind, if you have a conviction, how long will it follow you? 

How Long do Convictions Last

If an adult over the age of 18 has a conviction, the conviction isn’t permanent but it will last for up to 80 years before being removed from their record. In more severe cases the waiting time can be as long as 100 years. 

Although convictions aren’t permanent, they can, more often than not, outlive the convicted and in cases when the convicted outlasts the conviction, it is most likely no longer of use to them. 

Young Offenders

If you’re under the age of 18 when you were convicted, you could have the conviction wiped from your record following an access period. After the access period attached to the young offender’s conviction has ended, the conviction is taken off of their record without the need of a pardon. This is due to the court systems being much more lenient on young offenders. 

However, if the young offender commits any further crimes the access period is lengthened. Also, if during the access period the young offender turns 18 and commits another offence, all of their youth convictions turn into adult convictions and they will require a pardon.  

Pardons

A distinction must be made when talking about erasing a criminal conviction. With pardons, the conviction is only sealed away. While the conviction will not be visible to employers or landlords, it will still be visible to the government and can be accessed under specific circumstances. Also, if the conviction was a sexual offence, the conviction will be suspended but the convicted may still come up in certain searches.  

When you have a criminal record, it can really put a damper on the rest of your life. Renting property, travelling, finding jobs and more will be made more difficult when you have a criminal record. While convictions do have an expiration date, it is more than likely that when that date comes, it will no longer be of use to the convicted.

Luckily, there is always the option of a pardon. While pardons don’t entirely remove convictions from government records, they will conceal them from the public, allowing you to live without your criminal record weighing you down.  

If you have a criminal record and it is affecting your day to day life; a pardon is the best solution. Contact Pardon Canada at 1 (800) 543-2137 for professional assistance and expert advice.

The post Pardons in Canada: Do Convictions Ever Expire? appeared first on Federal Pardons and Waivers.

So, what happens if you commit one of these offences under the age of 18? A young offender is someone between the ages of 12 and 17 who has committed an offence. In law, young offenders are tried differently than adults over the age of 18. In cases with young offenders, they are typically sent to rehabilitation centres and cannot be sent to prison.

What is Youth Record?

When young offenders have charges laid against them, it remains on their record, including any findings of guilt, sentences received and any other information regarding completed sentences. 

The time frame a youth record remains on file is entirely dependent on the outcome of the case. Young offenders are given special rights such as having their cases heard in youth courts, having their identity excluded from any media coverage of the case, and receiving less severe penalties. 

How Long Does a Youth Record Last?

When a young offender has a minor conviction on their record it remains there for 3 years. If a young offender has a more serious conviction on their record, it remains there for up to 5 years. These time frames begin when the last sentencing was given to the young offender. 

For very serious crimes such as violent crimes or sexual assault, the conviction can remain for 10 or more years on a young offender’s record. Also, these very serious offences will remain on the young offender’s record after they turn 18 and will remain there until the end of a set amount of time. However, this isn’t always the case.

There is a length of time a youth record is open which is called the “access period.” During this access period, there are some who can see what is in a young offender’s record, including police, courts, and others. 

Different types of sentences have different lengths of access periods. 

• Found guilty with an absolute discharge – 1 year after found guilty
• Found guilty with a conditional discharge – 3 years after found guilty
• Found guilty of a summary conviction offence and get a sentence other than an absolute or conditional discharge – 3 years after the sentence is completed
• Found guilty of an indictable conviction offence and get a sentence other than an absolute or conditional discharge – 5 years after the sentence is completed

If other crimes have been committed after a young offender receives a record, their earlier records stay open longer. If during the access period the young offender turns 18 and another crime is committed, it becomes part of their adult record. This will become a permanent record that can only be removed with a pardon.

When a Pardon is Required 

When a young offender turns the age of 18, their record should be removed following the end of the access period. 

However, if youth records have not been pardoned and later adult convictions follow, both your adult and youth records will be locked in until a pardon is received for both youth and adult records. 

If the young offender only acquired convictions before the age of 18 and no later adult convictions were added, the record of the offence will then be sealed following the end of the access period. 

If someone under the age of 18 commits a crime, they are treated somewhat differently then adult offenders, with their records being concealed after they turn 18 and their access period has ended. However, they will still have consequences and further convictions will require a pardon to be removed. 

If you already have a criminal record and it is affecting your day to day life; a pardon is the best solution. Contact Pardon Canada at 1 (800) 543-2137 for professional assistance and expert advice.

The post Pardons in Canada: Do You Need a Pardon for a Crime Committed as a Minor? appeared first on Federal Pardons and Waivers.

Because theft is considered a crime of moral turpitude, having a theft charge on your criminal record could lead to you being denied entry at the United States border and you will be required to obtain a US Entry Waiver to be readmitted.  

If you are charged with theft of a vehicle, however, the process works a little differently. Through this article, we are going to touch on the consequences of vehicle theft and the process it takes to get a pardon for vehicle theft. 

Types of Theft

Most theft charges are broken up into two categories, theft over $5,000 and theft under $5,000. Theft under $5,000 is considered a summary offence and theft over $5,000 is considered an indictment offence – summary offences having less severe consequences and indictment offences having more severe consequences. However, there are other types of theft and theft-related offences such as possession of stolen property, theft of telecommunications, and the subject of this article, theft of a vehicle. 

Vehicle Theft in Canada 

When you are charged with vehicle theft in Canada, it is similar to theft over $5,000 and carries similar penalties. This means that if someone was caught stealing a vehicle they would be charged with an indictable offence and could face prison time. However, when someone steals a car, the vehicle does not require a valuation to decide if the vehicle is over or under $5,000. Vehicle theft contrasts with joyriding, with the arresting officer at the scene deciding whether to lay a joyriding charge or a theft of $5,000 charge based on the scenario. 

If the charge was considered joyriding, the driver of the vehicle would face a summary offence. Joyriding consists of someone taking a vehicle with the intention of driving, using or operating it but then return it to the owner. Joyriding also applies to someone unlawfully gaining entry into a vehicle but not driving it. 

Gaining a Pardon for Vehicle Theft in Canada

If you have been charged with vehicle theft in Canada, the process for obtaining a pardon to have it removed would work the same as it would for any indictable offence. You will have to wait a total of 10 years after completing your conviction, including paying any fines, serving a sentence in jail, or any other court-mandated task you have been assigned before applying for a pardon.   

If you have been charged with joyriding, it is treated as a summary offence and you will have to go through all of the same procedures as any summary offence. You will have to wait 5 years after finishing your sentence and all that it entails before applying for a pardon. 

If you were caught trying to steal a vehicle, you could end up with either a summary or an indictable offence. Either way, you will have a blemish on your criminal record that will make day to day life harder than it should be. One mistake shouldn’t be the end of your life, get a pardon and move on with your life.  

If you have an indictment or summary conviction that is affecting your life, with things such as job and apartment hunting or travelling and would like to get your life back on track, Pardons Canada has years of experience in getting Canadians pardons. Our team of professionals can help you through the pardon application process and help you move on with your life. Call 1 (800) 543-2137 today for professional assistance with Canadian federal pardons and waivers.

The post Pardons in Canada: Getting a Pardon for Car Theft appeared first on Federal Pardons and Waivers.

You may be asked to supply a criminal record if you are attempting to rent an expensive property or if you are applying for a job in which you will be working with money, children or the government. 

However, not everyone knows who can ask for a criminal record check. That is why in this article we have collected a list of all of the people and establishments that can ask for a criminal record check.

Professional Settings

Criminal record checks in professional environments are usually done to screen a potential employee before they are hired or to screen a potential tenant before a landlord considers renting to them. In these situations, if a conviction is found on your criminal record you will most likely be denied the job or the property.  

In both of these settings, by law, the landlord or employer must first ask for consent before going ahead and checking their criminal record. Going against this is going against the law and disrespects the rights of the potential employee or tenant, which can lead to legal action. 

Basically, anyone can run a background check on another person in a professional setting if they go through the proper channels and obtain consent.

Personal Setting

While criminal record checks are mostly used by employers screening potential employees, not all criminal record checks are done in a professional setting. In some instances, individuals can run criminal record checks on other individuals in a personal setting, however, the way it works is a little different. 

Here are a few scenarios where criminal record checks can be performed in a personal setting:  

Check Your Own Criminal Record: Let’s say you have a big job interview coming up, one that you know will require a criminal record check. Just to be safe, you can do a criminal record check on yourself so you can be sure your record looks clean. 

Babysitting: When looking for a babysitter, you want to be sure the individual is trustworthy. You can perform a criminal record check on the potential babysitter before determining if they are fit to watch your children. 

Relationships: If you are about to meet up with someone from a dating site, or starting to date someone seriously, you can do a criminal record check on them and avoid any potential danger.

Peace of Mind: If you have any suspensions about anyone around you that you fear could cause you harm, say, neighbours, you can run a criminal record check on them and have some peace of mind.  

Personal background checks aren’t as well known and the rules surrounding them aren’t kept as strictly as the rules surrounding professional criminal record checks. For criminal record checks in a professional setting, you need the consent of the individual before proceeding. For a criminal record check in a personal setting, the need for consent isn’t as necessary.

Because criminal history information is public record, you can sometimes simply Google a person’s name and find all the information necessary to determine if the individual has had any prior convictions.  

In summation, if you do want to perform a criminal record check in a personal setting, you can usually do so without consent as long as there is absolutely no employer-employee relationship involved. 

Knowing who can ask you for a criminal record and when they need consent is necessary if you are requested a criminal record check.

If you already have a criminal record and it is affecting your day to day life; a pardon is the best solution. Contact Pardon Canada at 1 (800) 543-2137 for professional assistance and expert advice.

The post Who Can Ask You for a Criminal Record Check? appeared first on Federal Pardons and Waivers.

However, not every arrest leads to a conviction. In some cases, criminal charges can go all the way through to the trial, however, during the trial, their charges are dropped and they are acquitted. In other cases, the case doesn’t make it to the trial at all and charges are dropped. But what exactly do dropped charges and dismissed cases mean and how do they affect your criminal record?    

Dropped Charges

A charge can be dropped at any time before the trial by either a prosecutor or an arresting officer. At this point, the case doesn’t move forward into a trial, this would be considered having a charge dropped, which can happen for a few different reasons: 

Lack of Evidence: Charges can be dropped if the prosecutor decides that there isn’t sufficient evidence to follow through with filing the charge. Or, new evidence emerges which goes against the case against the defendant.  

Improper Procedure: Throughout the entire arresting process, including booking, interrogating, and hearings, police and prosecutors must obey the criminal procedures. If at any time during these processes the defendant’s rights aren’t respected, the case could be dropped or the potential sentence can be reduced. 

Insufficient Resources: At times prosecutors have many, many cases to deal with and as a result, they may have to allocate time and resources to more pressing cases. In these situations, they will drop charges for more minor cases.

Cooperation: If the defendant is working with the authorities to help solve other crimes, their sentence could be reduced or their charge could be dropped entirely.

Dismissed Charges

Dismissed charges are similar to dropped charges in that the case does not proceed to a trial. The difference between the two is that prosecutors and arresting officers have the power to drop charges at any time before trial while judges have the power to dismiss them during.

Cases are dismissed when the judge has decided not to allow the case to proceed. Many of the reasons that cases are dropped are similar to the reasons cases are dismissed, such as:

Lack of Probable Cause: In cases involving traffic laws, if the officer stopped you without having probable cause and you happened to be violating a traffic law, your charge could be dismissed as the officer had no reason to suspect you. 

Searching Without a Warrant: When conducting a search on a vehicle or home, police must have a valid search warrant. If a defendant’s vehicle or home was searched by an officer without a warrant, any evidence that was found is invalid and they have no case against you.

Lack of Evidence: If the police do not have sufficient evidence or have lost evidence that was crucial to the case the charge could be dismissed. 

Dropped & Dismissed Charge in Regard to Your Criminal Record

With both dropped and dismissed charges, even though there is no conviction, all of the other documentation surrounding the case will still exist on your record, such as evidence of arrest, fingerprints and charges filed. When you perform a criminal record check for renting an apartment or looking for a job, the documentation from the dropped or dismissed charges will still arise which can cause the employer or landlord to not hire you or rent to you. 

If you have a dropped or dismissed charge that is stopping you from renting property or being hired, you will need to obtain a pardon. Pardons will remove all traces of past convictions so you can move on with your life.  

If you have had a drop or dismissed case in the past and it is affecting your day to day life; a pardon is the best solution. To find out if you are eligible for a pardon Contact Pardon Canada at 1 (800) 543-2137, we will provide professional assistance and expert advice.

The post Everything You Need to Know About Dropped and Dismissed Charges appeared first on Federal Pardons and Waivers.

Like with any crime, the offence’s degree of severity is taken into consideration. If you say, impulsively steal a pack of gum, you will be tried differently than someone who has premeditatedly gone into a store and stole a large number of pricey items. However, theft is still theft and it will more than likely lead to a conviction that will stay on your record and could prevent you from obtaining potential jobs or renting a property. 

Throughout this article, we will go through both the long and short term consequences of shoplifting. 

Short Term Consequences

Shoplifting is considered a form of theft and is therefore seen as a crime. The consequences of your shoplifting are down to the establishment you had stolen from, they will decide if they want to press charges or not. If you are charged, you will be arrested, your fingerprints will be taken and it will permanently go on to your criminal record. 

Even if you are caught stealing the smallest of objects, like a pack of gum, it is considered a summary conviction and you can be charged with theft under $5000 and you could face a fine, imprisonment, or both. 

Long Term Consequences

After you have been convicted of shoplifting the charge, the conviction, fingerprints, and any other documentation surrounding the case will remain on your criminal record permanently. That means all of the information regarding the shoplifting is viewable to anyone who requests a criminal record check. Even if you weren’t convicted of shoplifting, all of the documentation will still remain on your criminal record.  

The only scenario that would result in the shoplifting not remaining on your record permanently is if you were a minor at the time of the charge. 

Having any documentation on your criminal record regarding a shoplifting charge, convicted or not, will result in you possibly being denied jobs or property rental that requires a criminal record check. Having a messy criminal record can even prevent you from travelling to the US. 

How to Have Convictions Removed

Having a criminal record can really affect your day to day life and prevent you from doing many things you would otherwise be able to do. Should one impulsive decision you made in the past follow you for the rest of your life? Luckily, it doesn’t have to. 

If you have a conviction on your criminal record, it has been 5 years since the offence and you have completed your sentence in full, including any fines, prison time, or any other court-mandated obligations, you could be eligible for a pardon. A pardon will remove a conviction from your criminal record so you can move on from your past mistakes. 

If you have a criminal record and it is affecting your day to day life; a pardon is the best solution. Contact Pardon Canada at 1 (800) 543-2137 for professional assistance and expert advice.

The post Shoplifting and Pardons – Does Shoplifting Stay on Your Record? appeared first on Federal Pardons and Waivers.

They are separated by the severity of the crime committed, and the consequences for either vary based on the offence. Summary offences are for less serious crimes, while indictment offences are for more serious crimes. Hybrid offences are the offences that can fall under both summary or indictment. Throughout this article, we are going to give examples of what is considered a hybrid offence.

Types of Offences 

To better understand what hybrid offences are, you first have to understand the two offences that overlap to create them. 

Summary Offences

Summary offences are a less serious type of offence. Some examples of them would be theft under $5,000, possession of narcotics and disturbing the peace. When charged with a summary offence, you do not have a preliminary hearing, and your trial is held in the Ontario Court of Justice with a judge and no jury. 

Indictable Offences

Indictable offences are more serious types of offences. Examples of indictable offences are murder, acts of terrorism and break and enter. If you have been charged with an indictable offence, depending on the charge, you will have the right to select a trial by judge and a jury and which court your trial will be held in. When on trial for an indictable offence you will be required to have a lawyer represent you.   

Examples of Hybrid Offences

Hybrid offences fall between a summary and an indictable offence. In hybrid offence cases, the prosecutor chooses whether to treat the offence as a summary or indictable offence based on the severity of the accused’s crime. For more serious crimes they will be charged with an indictable offence – if it is a less serious crime they are charged with a summary offence. Some examples of hybrid offences are: 

• Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, vessel or aircraft
• Sexual assault
• Sexual interference 
• Simple assault

Entering Canada with a Hybrid Offence

Most of the time, if you have committed an offence that is equivalent to a summary offence in Canada in another country you can enter Canada without too much trouble. With an offence equivalent to an indictable offence, you will be denied access until you have attained a Canadian Temporary Resident Permit or have gone through Canada’s Criminal Rehabilitation process. With an offence equivalent to a hybrid offence, it would still be considered an indictable offence and you would have to go through the same process to enter the country as you would an indictable offence. This is because a hybrid offence could still be considered indictable, even if it wasn’t as serious as an indictable offence.

Hybrid offences can be a little complex when you consider the fact that they could be considered either an indictable or summary offence. Being aware of what exactly constitutes a hybrid offence and its intricacies are necessary if you ever happen to be charged with a hybrid offence.  

Getting a pardon will remove a hybrid offence from your criminal record and allow you to live your life without restrictions.

If you already have a hybrid offence and it is affecting your day to day life; a pardon is the best solution. Contact Pardon Canada at 1 (800) 543-2137 for professional assistance and expert advice.

The post What is a Hybrid Offence in Canada? appeared first on Federal Pardons and Waivers.

or be deemed rehabilitated in order to prove to an immigration officer that they aren’t likely to be involved with any future criminal activity. If you aren’t considered admissible to Canada you could be stopped at the border and prevented from entering the country. 

Through this article, we are going to go through the process of gaining entry to Canada when you have a criminal record.

Canadian Temporary Resident Permit

A Canadian TRP is the quickest way to be admitted into Canada if you have a criminal record, but as the name states, it is temporary and will expire eventually. Canada TRP`s enable foreign nationals with criminal records to cross the border for a small amount of time and can be issued for single entry, or many entries over a period of as long as three years. If it has been under 5 years since you have completed your sentence, the only option you have for travelling to Canada with a criminal record is with a TRP. 

Criminal Rehabilitation

For those who have committed a crime in another country and wish to gain permanent residence in Canada, they must go through a process called Criminal Rehabilitation. This takes much longer to obtain than a TRP due to it granting permanent residency. The Canada Criminal Rehabilitation Program awards somebody with a criminal record a clean record forever. However, this is only available to those who have completed their entire sentence and all it entails, including paying all fines, completing their probation or any other court-mandated orders. Also, the sentence must be completed 5 years before you can apply for the program.   

Requirements for the Criminal Rehabilitation

If you are looking to apply for the Canada Rehabilitation Program and have completed your sentence at least 5 years ago, the government will have some requirements you must meet in order for you to be eligible. For rehabilitation, you will be asked to show that:

• Your sentence was completed at least 5 years prior to applying
• You have a stable lifestyle
• You are living in a permanent home
• You are employed 
• You have a reference letter about your good character 

You must send your application for rehabilitation to the nearest Visa office if you are outside of Canada. If you are in Canada, you must send your application to the nearest Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada office.  

Deemed Rehabilitation

In some cases when an individual has only a single misdemeanour on their record, and ten years have passed since they have completed their sentence, they may be deemed rehabilitated due to the length of time and are then considered admissible to Canada. For those who have more than one misdemeanour, an indictable offence, or their crime involved a weapon, property damage, or was violent in nature, Deem Rehabilitation may not apply to them, even after ten years.     

Determining Admissibility

The way the Canadian government determines admissibility is by equating the foreign criminal offence to Canadian law. This means that if the crime committed in a foreign country is considered an indictable offence (a serious crime), then the visitor may be refused entry and consider inadmissible to the country. If the crime committed was equivalent to a summary offence (a less serious crime), then the visitor may be considered admissible and allowed to enter, as long it was a single conviction and it has been over five years since their last conviction, even without acquiring a TRP or Criminal Rehabilitation. For hybrid offences (offences that could be considered summary or indictable), the person will be deemed inadmissible to the country due to the potential of it being prosecuted as an indictable offence in Canada.   

Entering Canada can be a difficult process if you have a criminal record and will require a bit of effort and research. If you are looking to enter Canada temporarily, you will have to apply for a TRP. If you are looking to enter permanently, you will have to wait 5 years after you have finished your sentence and apply for Criminal Rehabilitation, or if you do not have serious crimes and it has been over 10 years you could simply be deemed rehabilitated and allowed to enter the country. If you meet the criteria for any of these methods for entering Canada you may be applicable and should consult a professional.  

Pardons and Waivers Canada

If you’re looking for professional help to guide you into entering Canada with a criminal record, Pardons and Waivers Canada has years of experience helping those with a criminal record enter Canada. We have helped many foreigners and Canadians with criminal records travel without any trouble. 

Contact Pardons and Waivers Canada today at 1-800-543-2137, to talk with one of our representatives about applying for a pardon or entry waivers.

The post Entering Canada With a Criminal Record appeared first on Federal Pardons and Waivers.

While driving impaired is quite a serious matter, should it really follow you for the rest of your life? Driving under the influence (DUI) convictions can put a lot of strain on your life and make things like finding work or renting an apartment more difficult. You will naturally want to put the whole ordeal behind you and move on with your life.

If this sounds like your situation and you want to leave your DUI in the past, a DUI pardon is the best solution. Obtaining a pardon for a DUI can be a rather difficult process, but a record-free life is worth the effort. If you’re interested in obtaining a DUI pardon here is everything you need to know!

How Long Does it Take to Get a DUI Pardon?

Because DUIs are considered a summary offence (less serious offences) in Canada, you have to wait 5 years after you have paid your fines connected to the DUI to apply for a pardon. This is why you should pay your fines as quickly as you can so the timeline for obtaining a pardon is shortened. You should also start gathering the necessary files earlier than the end of the 5 year make due to the preparation of all of the paperwork taking between 12 to 20 months.

After you have submitted your properly filled paperwork there is no concrete amount of time for when you will receive your pardon. The timeline for getting a DUI pardon is different in each case, it can take an average of 12-24 months, while some can be done within 6 months or less.

Getting a DUI Pardon

Like most charges, obtaining a pardon and removing a charge from your criminal record will require the help of a pardons and waivers service. Before you get in touch with a pardons and waivers service, there are 3 conditions you have to meet.

The first condition is to have completed your sentence. This includes paying your fines/surcharges and completion of your probation or parole.

The second condition is waiting for 5 years after you’ve paid your fines and completed your sentence, as mentioned previously.

The third condition is that you had been on good behaviour and had not received any new convictions or offences.

If you have met all of these conditions, there is a good chance you will be granted a pardon and have the DUI removed from your record.

Why Get a DUI Pardon?

If you have a DUI but are not sure if you should really go through with the process, it’s important to take into consideration everything that can be made difficult if you have a criminal record. With a record, you will find it hard to get a good job, rent a home or apartment, foster and adopt a child and much more!

Even if you have yet to run into any obstacles because of your criminal record, there is a good chance you will in the future. It is best to get your record exonerated as soon as possible so you aren’t stopped from taking advantage of great opportunities.

Getting a pardon will remove the DUI from your criminal record and allow you to live your life without restrictions.

If you already have a DUI charge and it is affecting your day to day life; a DUI pardon is the best solution. Contact Pardon Canada at 1 (800) 543-2137 for professional assistance and expert advice.

The post Everything You Need to Know About DUI Pardons appeared first on Federal Pardons and Waivers.

How to Get Your Pardon?

At Federal Pardons and Waivers, we will make the process as straightforward as possible. Our team of professionals will guide you through the process of applying for a pardon, step by step.

Without A Pardon

Federal Pardons and Waivers can help you get that record suspension you needed to move on with your life and get more opportunities. You will get the pardon you need to move on with your life. You can accomplish a great deal in this arena simply by arming yourself with a little information. To that end, let’s start by answering the question of how long it’s going to take you to get this pardon in the first place.

How Long Does it Take to Get A Pardon In Canada

The first thing you need to keep in mind is that there is no such thing as a universal period of time to answer the question “How long does it take to get a pardon?” In other words, your situation can prove to be entirely different from someone else’s. Court locations, as well as the number of convictions you have accumulated, are going to be major deciding factors. We can’t promise you a pardon the next day, but we can nonetheless guarantee the easiest path possible to getting your record cleared. Obviously, the sooner you get the ball rolling on all of this, the sooner you are going to get your pardon.

The next thing you need to do is determine your eligibility. This is one of the points in which your background, with respect to your charges and convictions, is going to play a key role in determining the actual length of time. The eligibility requirements break down thusly:

• Charges that have been withdrawn, dismissed, or acquitted: Five months
• Absolute charges, stayed charges, and any given peace bond: One year
• A conditional discharge: Three years
• A summary conviction: Five years
• Indictable conviction: Ten years

Can One Be Ineligible For a Pardon?

Absolutely. If you have sexual convictions to a minor, you are ineligible for a pardon. If you have four or more indictable convictions, in which two years of jail time (or more) were served, then you are not going to be eligible for a pardon. In the event of a conviction, the waiting period will begin once the sentence handed down by the court has been properly satisfied. By this, we mean that you have paid a fine, or even served jail time. For any other outcome, the waiting period will begin from the court date.

These are the basic facts behind getting a pardon in Canada. Obviously, there are many other elements to this process that need to be studied and considered carefully. We are happy to provide you with those resources, as well as anything else you may need to get on with your life.

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