Ottawa launches study of pardon fees

Sweeping review to include federal parole board survey

OTTAWA— People convicted of minor offences would pay less than those guilty of serious crimes when applying for a pardon under a scenario being studied by the federal parole board. The Parole Board of Canada quietly launched an online consultation this week asking people what they think of the $631 application charge for a criminal pardon — a fee that quadrupled under the previous Conservative government.

The consultation, which runs until June 6, is part of a sweeping Liberal review of Harper government changes that made people wait longer and pay more to obtain a pardon, which was renamed a record suspension. More than three million Canadians have a criminal record. A suspension doesn’t erase a record, but can make it easier to get a job, travel and generally return to society.

Under the Conservative changes, lesser offenders — those with a summary conviction — must wait five years, not three, before they can apply for a suspension. Offenders who have served a sentence for a more serious crime — an indictable offence — must wait 10 years, not five.

In addition, the cost of applying quadrupled to $631 from $150 to ensure full cost recovery. The Conservatives said taxpayers should not subsidize the cost of pardons. The changes came after The Canadian Press revealed that former hockey coach Graham James, a convicted sex abuser, had obtained a pardon.

The office of Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says the government will review the waiting period, fee and new name with a view to considering fairness, proportionality and the role that expunging a criminal record plays in rehabilitation.