Pardon

A pardon is a decision that absolves a convicted person of a criminal conviction. A pardon may be full or partial:^[1]

• A full pardon removes all of the consequences of conviction.
• A partial pardon does not fully absolve a person of the conviction. For example, a partial pardon may not set aside a finding of guilt, or may not fully restore the rights of the person who received the pardon
• An Amnesty is given to a group of people, usually for a political offence.

Pardons are sometimes given to people who are wrongly convicted. In that case, the person is cleared of that conviction, as if never convicted.^[2]

The practice varies greatly between countries. In the United States a pardon for a federal conviction may be granted by the President,^[3] while pardons for state convictions may be granted by state governors.^[3][4]