Pardon
Definition
The most complete form of clemency; it wipes out both the sentence and, in most systems, the conviction and its disqualifications, restoring the person to the legal position they held before the offence.
Related terms
- 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...
- 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,...
- 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.
- Article 72
- The constitutional provision giving the President power to pardon, reprieve, respite or remit sentences for court martial, Union-law offences, and every death...
Explained in these topics
- Remission, Pardon and Executive Clemency
- Remission, Pardon and Clemency (UGC-NET Unit VII)The most complete form of clemency; meant to remove both the sentence and the conviction's legal consequences, restoring the person's pre-offence legal positio...