It is starting to look like a certainty that the omnibus crime bill is going to pass in the next few days. It was a good fight, if an unfair one. Facing a Conservative majority with a crime agenda is a tough battle indeed. When just about every legal/criminal expert in the country speaks out passionately against a piece of crime legislation we can feel certain the changes are part of an ideology. There is no doubt the Conservatives have little regard for evidence and the result is a piece of legislation so poorly conceived it boggles the mind.
We still don’t know when the new rules will come into effect regarding pardons so in the meantime I want to assure all of our clients that our team is working very hard to get things into the Parole Board before the changes take place. Emotions are already running high as part the pardon fee increase. A lot of clients are understandably upset about having to pay so much more for a pardon but please understand that everyone at the National Pardon Centre is on your side on this one. It just happens to be completely out of our control. All I can say is that the team at all our offices worked double time to make sure as many of you got your files in as possible. Some of you didn’t and I am sorry for that but unfortunately we don’t make the rules.
While we wait to see when the new legislation will take effect the team will all be working extra hard again. We know a criminal record is affecting your life and we want you to get your pardon ASAP. But we can’t work miracles. Some of you are still going to get caught by the new rules. Again, I’m sorry for this.
Of course even with a Conservative majority it’s still not, as they say, over ‘till the fat lady sings. Let’s hope she has a sore throat.
Michael Ashby
514.842.2411 x 227