An Act to amend the Criminal Records Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to repeal a regulation
Bill S-212 in 44-1 was a Senate Private Member's Bill amending the Criminal Records Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-47) to streamline federal record-suspension (formerly pardon) processing, the 44-1 precursor to 45-1 Bill S-207. The 2012 Harper government's tough-on-crime reforms (Bill C-10, the Safe Streets and Communities Act, S.C. 2012, c. 1) raised record-suspension waiting periods from 3 to 5 years for summary offences and from 5 to 10 years for indictable offences, plus a fee increase from $50 to $657. The bill called for waiting-period restoration and fee reduction. The Parole Board of Canada has processed approximately 4,000 record-suspension applications annually since 2012 (down from approximately 20,000 annually before 2012). Did not pass third reading.
Status
Quick learn
Replaces the current pardon application system with automatic record suspension once someone has been conviction-free for a set period. Removes the application fee.
Issues this bill touches
- Crime & Public Safety
Replaces the federal pardon/record-suspension regime with automatic record expiry after a set conviction-free period.
Legislative history
- First reading
First reading in the Senate.
View source - Second reading
Second reading in the Senate.
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Official source
Read full text on Parliament of Canada