Pardon

:"Clemency" redirects here. For the town, see Clemency, Luxembourg.

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A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the penalty associated with it. It is granted by a sovereign power, such as a monarch or chief of state. Clemency is an associated term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime itself. The act of clemency is a reprieve. Today, pardons and reprieves are granted in many countries when individuals have been wrongly convicted of a crime, have demonstrated that they have fulfilled their debt to society, or are otherwise deserving (in the opinion of the pardoning official) of a pardon or reprieve.

Related Topics:
Sovereign - Monarch - Chief of state

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