Pardons Lawyer Toronto

Do you know about 1 in 10 Canadians has a criminal record? If you have one, all is not lost. You can apply for, and get a Pardon (nowadays referred to as a Record Suspension) from the Parole Board of Canada. According to the Parole Board’s statistics, there have been over 500,000 Pardons issued since 1970, with over 97% of those Pardons still in force today. There are several reasons why you should seek a Pardon.

A Pardon removes the stigma associated with having a criminal record. Without a Pardon, your record stays at the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database until you are 80, sometimes 100 years old.

A Pardon opens new doors for education, volunteer work, travel, and employment. Under Canadian law, educational institutions, employers, and community agencies can request for, and be granted your criminal record.

Although the Criminal Records Act (CRA) only applies to records in federal organizations, Ontario criminal justice agencies also restrict access criminal records after the ordering of a suspension.

How We Assist You To Get A Pardon
To get a Pardon, there is a detailed legal application process that you have to complete. This is why you need the lawyers at Costa Law Firm. Some of the things we will do for you include.

Getting a pardon is not as easy as it once was. There have been changes to the federal pardon system that stem from the 2010 Canadian Press expose that Graham James, a serial predator, and a former junior hockey coach, had been quietly granted a routine Pardon back in 2007.

We will determine your eligibility. This is important as you will not waste time only to find you are ineligible or hesitate while you could have easily gotten a Pardon. Factors determining eligibility include waiting period (5 years for summary offences and 10 years for indictable offences) and the type of offence (some offences such as schedule 1 offences against minors are unpardonable).