According to figures provided by the Parole Board of Canada , 780 people applied for a pardon between August 1, 2019 and Oct.
The Liberal government passed a law in 2019 eliminating the program’s $631 application fee, waiving its five-to-10-year waiting period and speeding up the application process.
“The people who need pardons, particularly from pot charges, are typically the least able to access that process.
John Struthers, president of the Criminal Lawyers Association, agrees.
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