Criminal record suspensions plummet as new pardon rules, higher fees, take hold

OTTAWA – The number of former offenders applying to have their criminal records sealed has plummeted since the Conservative government brought in tough new rules and quadrupled the application fee.

Figures obtained by The Canadian Press show that total applications are down more than 40 per cent.

And fewer than 3,700 record suspensions were granted between March and December 2012, compared with more than 24,000 in the last full year before Ottawa began overhauling the pardons system.

The changes all stem from the 2010 revelation that serial predator Graham James, a former junior hockey coach, was quietly granted a routine pardon in 2007.

James has since been convicted of sex assaults on two other young hockey prospects who were once under his influence, including NHL star Theoren Fleury.

Critics say the Harper government has gone too far with its pardon changes and is keeping thousands of law-abiding former offenders from moving on with their lives and fully contributing to society.