Pardon vs Record Suspension: What’s the Difference?

Pardons vs. Record Suspensions: tomato/tomato. Simply put, they’re the same; in the words of Shakespeare “…a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

Whether you receive a pardon or a record suspension depends on when your most recent offence was committed (pre/post March 2012), however the outcome doesn’t differ: your criminal record is sealed. The Stephen Harper Conservatives decided that “Suspension” was a more accurate description of the outcome, as your criminal record is not permanently expunged but kept separate and apart (remaining private dependant on one continuing to be law-abiding).

With the change from pardon to record suspension the waiting periods to be eligible became longer, certain offences were made ineligible to be pardoned (sex offences involving minors and serious repeat offending with significant jail time), and with those changes came a substantial increase to the application filing fee; the end result however remained the same.

For those who are wondering, a pardon is not any better than a record suspension, and you can’t choose which one you get. Bottom line, it doesn’t matter.

For more information on suspending your record contact us! Consultations are free!

The ‘Suspend This’ Team