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Article 72

Definition

The constitutional provision giving the President power to pardon, reprieve, respite or remit sentences for court martial, Union-law offences, and every death sentence.

Related terms

Article 161
The constitutional provision giving a state Governor a parallel clemency power over state-law offences, excluding the power to pardon a death sentence.
Commutation
Substitution of a lesser form of punishment for the one originally imposed, most often a death sentence converted to life imprisonment or...
Executive Clemency
The umbrella term for every form of post-conviction mercy exercised by a head of state, head of government, governor or minister rather...
Pardon
The most complete form of clemency; it wipes out both the sentence and, in most systems, the conviction and its disqualifications, restoring...
Remission
A reduction of the unserved part of a sentence, granted by the appropriate government under statute; the conviction and the original sentence...
Reprieve
A temporary stay of the execution of a sentence, typically a death sentence, granted to allow time for a petition, appeal or...
Respite
A reduced sentence granted because of a special fact about the offender, such as pregnancy, physical disability or a specific medical condition,...

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