Open Letter

October 3, 2008

To Whom It May Concern,

There are over three million Canadian citizens that currently have a criminal record. It has come to our attention that many of them do not understand the legalities of their situation. Some Canadians believe that their record will be automatically pardoned after a certain amount of time, as in the United States. This is not true. A criminal record will stay with you for life unless action is taken to expunge it. Conversely, many Canadians believe that their criminal record is permanent, forever hindering them from finding certain types of work, travelling overseas, or seeking adoption or volunteer work. This is also untrue. The majority of criminal records in Canada today are eligible for a pardon. Furthermore, and most dangerously, there are many Canadians that have a criminal record, but are unaware that they have one. Being caught without a record in a foreign country can lead to deportation, detainment, property seizure and worse, and ignorance is not an excuse.

It is important that Canadians know their rights in these matters. A record, in many cases, can be pardoned. Waivers, in many circumstances, can be granted to those who wish to travel to the United States. There are many services available to help people navigate the pardon procedure. Some of these services have been in operation for nearly twenty years.

Please post this on your bulletin board so that Canadian citizens passing through your building have a full understanding of their legal rights, and possible threats to their future security.

If you would like more information, please contact me directly or visit my website.


Yours sincerely,




Azmairnin Jadavji
Pardon Services Canada