Requests for Royal Prerogative of Mercy on the rise as Ottawa restricts pardons
By By Jim Bronskill and Bruce Cheadle, The Canadian Press - Sunday, January 20, 2013 - 0 Comments
OTTAWA – New restrictions on the granting of criminal record suspensions, or pardons, are…
OTTAWA – New restrictions on the granting of criminal record suspensions, or pardons, are causing more former convicts to seek clemency under the rarely used Royal Prerogative of Mercy, according to the Parole Board of Canada.
In fact, the federal agency has posted an “Important Notice” on its website to discourage clemency applications, which it notes are “only granted in exceptional circumstances.”
“If you are ineligible for a record suspension, or the board has refused to order a record suspension in your case, it is highly unlikely that you will qualify under RPM,” cautions the board.
There are currently 79 active clemency applications in the pipeline, according to Parole Board spokeswoman Caroline Douglas.
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Disgraced theatre impresario Garth Drabinsky granted day parole
By Linda Nguyen, The Canadian Press - Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at 12:51 PM - 0 Comments
KINGSTON, Ont. – Disgraced theatre impresario Garth Drabinsky has been granted day parole and will be released to a Toronto halfway house to serve the remainder of his sentence for fraud.
KINGSTON, Ont. – Disgraced theatre impresario Garth Drabinsky has been granted day parole and will be released to a Toronto halfway house to serve the remainder of his sentence for fraud.
The Parole Board of Canada’s two-member panel said the 62-year-old does not pose an “undue risk” to public safety, but denied his application for full release, calling it “premature.”
The ex-CEO of the now-defunct Livent Inc. — the company behind such hits as “Phantom of the Opera” — testified for nearly three hours via video link from the Beaver Creek Institution in Gravenhurst, Ont.
He could be seen crying and hugging his family following the panel’s decision.
The panel imposed several conditions on his release, including prohibiting him from operating a business, being in charge of financials at any company, and associating with any convicted criminals, including his co-accused and longtime friend Myron Gottlieb.
In 2009, Drabinsky and Gottlieb were both convicted of two counts of fraud each for a book-cooking scheme that ultimately resulted in Livent declaring bankruptcy and investors losing an estimated $500 million.
Drabinsky was sentenced to five years in prison and Gottlieb to four years.
Gottlieb was released to a halfway house last July.
Drabinsky will be moved to the halfway house sometime after Nov. 11.
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How much for a pardon?
By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at 5:26 PM - 74 Comments
The government’s proposal to quadruple the fee on pardon applications is met with resistance.
As required under the federal User Fees Act, the Parole Board of Canada — the body that vets pardon applications — held a February consultation to gather feedback on the proposal. In response, 1,074 individuals and organizations said they did not agree with the proposed fee increase, while 12 were supportive, says a summary report by the parole board…
The report says people opposed to the fee increase most often said it would: pose a financial burden for applicants, with many unable to pay the increased fee; make it difficult or impossible for people to apply for a pardon who need one to help them obtain employment or pursue their education; and amount to further punishment to that already imposed by the court. “Some also indicated that they thought the proposed fee increase was politically driven.”
