National Pardon Centre (Canadian), first hand experience and opinions

[Mike Mercury]

What do you have to say about the National Pardon Centre (Canadian)

 

[Dee]

You might want to see what their total fee is expected to be. I assume that you understand that while this company may look like part of the government, it isn't.

If you are just applying for a pardon this can be done yourself and it isn't that difficult as I understand from a buddy who got a pardon.

http://www.npb-cnlc.gc.ca/prdons/servic-eng.shtml

 

[Mike Mercury]

About 15 years ago I went to the RCMP HQ about getting a pardon for DUI. The officer basically told me that a pardon only affected RCMP records and did not affect any provincial or international records. He basically said that it was not worth much.

I also knew that a DUI conviction does not pop up on police computers (Sureté du Québec and Montreal Police dept) after five years. I tested this a few times.

Anyway from the National Pardon Centre
What are the limitations of a pardon?
•A pardon does not erase the fact that a person was convicted of an offence.
•A pardon does not guarantee entry or visa privileges to another country.
•Courts and police services (other than the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)) are under provincial and municipal legislation. This means that they do not have to keep records of convictions separate and apart from other criminal records.
•The CRA lists certain sexual offences. If a person was pardoned for such offences, his/her record will be kept separate and apart, but his/her name will be flagged in the CPIC computer system. This means a person will be asked to let employers see his/her record if this person wants to work with children or with groups that are vulnerable because of their age or disability. The flag is applied regardless of the date of conviction or the date a pardon was granted or issued.
•A sentence may have included various prohibition orders imposed under the Criminal Code, such as a driving or firearms prohibition order. A pardon will not cancel these prohibition orders.


As for the private company called National Pardon Centre they are indeed making like they are part of the government. They want more than $500 and they "forget" to tell you a pardon is not worth much.

 

[YouVantOption]

About 15 years ago I went to the RCMP HQ about getting a pardon for DUI. The officer basically told me that a pardon only affected RCMP records and did not affect any provincial or international records. He basically said that it was not worth much.

I also knew that a DUI conviction does not pop up on police computers (Sureté du Québec and Montreal Police dept) after five years. I tested this a few times.

Don't be foolish. Of course it does. As do, say, police visits to your house, and so on.

From the National Parole Board website (The NPB is where you can apply for a pardon, at a cost of $50

Pardons
A pardon allows people who were convicted of a criminal offence, but have completed their sentence and demonstrated they are law-abiding citizens for a prescribed number of years, to have their criminal record kept separate and apart from other criminal records.

But let's click through and read the rest of the facts, shall we?

14.1 Pardons

Legislative reference

Criminal Records Act . subsections 4.1(1) and (2), 4.2(4), 7 and 7.2.

Preamble

The Criminal Records Act (CRA) authorizes the National Parole Board to grant or refuse to grant pardons to persons convicted of offences under federal acts and regulations and to revoke a pardon or, under specific circumstances, declare that a pardon ceases to have effect. The CRA also requires that, on application and verification of eligibility, a pardon be issued to applicants whose criminal records contain only summary convictions and/or hybrid offences that were tried summarily.

A pardon is evidence that the conviction should no longer reflect negatively on a person’s character. In support of this statement, the CRA restricts access to records under federal jurisdiction and removes any disqualifications that would result from a conviction. With regards to employment, the CRA specifies that information about pardoned offences shall not be sought in the employment applications of organizations under federal jurisdiction. In addition, the Canadian Human Rights Act forbids federal agencies and departments to discriminate against an individual based on a pardoned record.

In other words, a conviction may still reside in the police computers, particularly the arresting force's, but they, and a judge may not use the information in a prejudicial manner.

Here's a giant warning from the National parole Board website, in big red letters, as it is on their site:

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

You do not need a lawyer or representative to apply for a pardon. This will not accelerate the review of your application or convey a special status on it. The NPB treats all applications in the same way.

You can apply for a pardon by simply following the step-by-step instructions above, and submitting your completed application forms and a $50 processing fee.