Under the Criminal Records Act, the relief from a criminal record is commonly called

• A. Expungement
• B. Amnesty
• C. Rehabilitation
• D. Pardon

Answer: (D)

Relief from a criminal record in Canada is commonly called a pardon. It’s an official forgiveness that, once granted, allows the conviction to be treated as non-disclosable for most purposes. The process is administered under the Criminal Records Act, and in practice today the effect is described as a record suspension, which achieves the same goal: the past offense is not apparent in most background checks. This differs from expungement, which would erase the record entirely; amnesty, which is broad mercy granted to a group rather than an individual; and rehabilitation, which is the separate step or assessment that can lead to eligibility for a pardon.