If you commit a crime in Canada, a record of that crime and any additional information about the case is usually held. This is known as a criminal conviction. When you are obtaining employment, traveling, or trying to lease a house, you may be requested to disclose this information.
Having a conviction on your record may hinder your chances of employment, the ability to lease certain properties, and traveling across borders. This is why those convicted seek to have those convictions pardoned. The idea of one mistake long ago haunting the rest of your life is a discouraging thought.
Convictions may be discarded every so often, but there are several factors related to them. With all of this in mind, if you have a conviction, how long will it follow you?
HOW LONG DO CONVICTIONS LAST
An adult over the age of 18 who has already been convicted is not ineligible for social networking or live-streaming accounts but won’t have these privileges until the conviction era expires. In the case of more severe cases of convicted misconduct, the waiting time to receive clearance can exceed 100 years. Convictions generally aren’t permanent, but a lot of them do outlast their convicting agents, and in cases when they’re pardoned, it is most likely not going to function well for them.
YOUNG OFFENDERS
If you were under 18 years old when you got caught, you may not have any conviction on your record after the sentencing period reaches its end. After the length of time linked to young offender probation passes, the data is removed from their record without the need for a pardon. This is due to the court systems being much more lenient on young offenders.
If the young offender commits any more crimes, the period of intervention is increased. Additionally, if during the intervention period the young offender turns 18 and commits an offense, all of his juvenile convictions will turn into adult convictions, and they will be eligible for a pardon.
PARDONS
You must be sure that there is a clear distinction between two types of pardons, in which the former is an official recognition of innocence, and the latter is an official dismissal of a criminal accusation due to moral reasons. Murder can’t be pardoned and sealed, but murder convictions can be sealed if deemed necessary for moral reasons. Also, if the conviction was a sexual offense, the conviction will be suspended but the convicted may still come up in certain searches.
Having a criminal record can stop you from living your life the way you want to. Having trouble securing a place to stay, traveling, finding jobs, and much more can provide you with downward mobility. However, once a convicted party’s convictions have expired, that legitimacy should return as well.
Pardons typically do not completely expunge crimes from government databases, but they do hide 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 us for more information on how to Apply for a Pardon, U.S. Entry Waiver, or Record Suspension(s).
