A discharge is granted when the court finds you guilty of an offence but chooses not to convict you after considering your special circumstances. You do, however, have a criminal record. If you also have convictions on your record and you apply for a pardon, the record of your discharge will be removed when your pardon is granted.
2. How many kinds of discharges are there?
There are two kinds of discharges. They are called Conditional and Absolute.
3. Is there a difference between the two?
For a conditional you have to wait three years before you can apply to have it removed and an absolute one-year.
4. I received my conditional discharge in 1995. What shall I do?
You do not have to do anything. If you only have a discharge on your record and the discharge was given on or after July 24, 1992, the record of your offence is removed automatically from CPIC after one year under an absolute discharge, and three years after a conditional discharge. HOWEVER IF….
If you only have a discharge on your record and the discharge was given prior to July 24, 1992, we can apply on your behalf to the RCMP Purge Unit to have the record removed.
5. I have a couple of discharges on my record but I also have a conviction?
You need to get a pardon. A pardon will look after the conviction and the discharges.
6. How long does it take?
The process takes between 4 – 6 months to complete.
7. If I only have one conditional discharge on my record will this affect my employment?
Yes. With a condition or absolute discharge, you still have a criminal record. This means you have an FPS number. Not only it can affect your employment, it can affect your landed status, citizenship and many more opportunities.
