Only 118 individuals have been pardoned for cannabis-related convictions since legalization
The federal government passed legislation to deliver free, efficient pardons for minor cannabis charges four months ago. But despite estimates that approximately 10,000 Canadians qualify for an expedited pardon, only 118 individuals have been pardoned so far, and Public Safety Canada stats indicate that there have been just 234 applications.
The fee to apply for a pardon, which used to cost $631 to apply, was removed when Bill C-93 came into force this summer, along with the mandated waiting period of five to 10 years that was formerly deemed necessary to file an application.
Sen. Kim Pate says that the number indicate that there are issues with the system.
“I think they’re incredibly low, given what we understand is probably tens of thousands and probably many more convictions for simple possession,” she told CBC News.
“So I think we know, of the people who are eligible, if they know about it, they’re choosing not to apply … either because it’s historical and they didn’t want to go back and revisit that, or there were still costs involved in applying for this process.”
Sen. Pate, who has long advocated for the rights of prisoners and for legal reform, has announced plans to reintroduce legislation in 2020 to make changes to the Criminal Records Act that would allow certain criminal records to expire after a set period of time, saying the current system is “punitively costly” and “inaccessible.”
“It’s hardly surprising — even the description of Bill C-93 as providing ‘no-cost, expedited record suspensions’ is misleading,” Pate wrote in an op-ed on the Senate website. “While it does waive the $631 application fee and wait time of up to 10 years, it still requires applicants to spend time and money having their fingerprints taken, obtaining RCMP record checks and locating original documents from record keepers in the jurisdiction where charges were originally laid.”
Pate says that the entire records system – for cannabis and other offences – is in need of an overhaul in order to help Canadians who have been previously convicted of a crime.
“Whether for cannabis or other records, it is time to end our costly, inaccessible and ultimately ineffective application-based systems for record relief,” Pate writes. “It is in all of our interest to ensure that Canadians can move on from a criminal conviction.”
The federal government passed legislation to deliver free, efficient pardons for minor cannabis charges four months ago. But despite estimates that approximately 10,000 Canadians qualify for an expedited pardon, only 118 individuals have been pardoned so far, and Public Safety Canada stats indicate that there have been just 234 applications.
The fee to apply for a pardon, which used to cost $631 to apply, was removed when Bill C-93 came into force this summer, along with the mandated waiting period of five to 10 years that was formerly deemed necessary to file an application.
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Sen. Kim Pate says that the number indicate that there are issues with the system.
“I think they’re incredibly low, given what we understand is probably tens of thousands and probably many more convictions for simple possession,” she told CBC News.
“So I think we know, of the people who are eligible, if they know about it, they’re choosing not to apply … either because it’s historical and they didn’t want to go back and revisit that, or there were still costs involved in applying for this process.”
Sen. Pate, who has long advocated for the rights of prisoners and for legal reform, has announced plans to reintroduce legislation in 2020 to make changes to the Criminal Records Act that would allow certain criminal records to expire after a set period of time, saying the current system is “punitively costly” and “inaccessible.”
“It’s hardly surprising — even the description of Bill C-93 as providing ‘no-cost, expedited record suspensions’ is misleading,” Pate wrote in an op-ed on the Senate website. “While it does waive the $631 application fee and wait time of up to 10 years, it still requires applicants to spend time and money having their fingerprints taken, obtaining RCMP record checks and locating original documents from record keepers in the jurisdiction where charges were originally laid.”
Pate says that the entire records system – for cannabis and other offences – is in need of an overhaul in order to help Canadians who have been previously convicted of a crime.
“Whether for cannabis or other records, it is time to end our costly, inaccessible and ultimately ineffective application-based systems for record relief,” Pate writes. “It is in all of our interest to ensure that Canadians can move on from a criminal conviction.”
