Pardon | Description & Facts

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link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/pardon/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/pardon">Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-related-questions"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 pb-0 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-15"> Related Questions </div> <ul> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/What-were-Gerald-Fords-jobs">What were Gerald Ford’s jobs?</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-read-next"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> Read Next </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/story/have-any-us-presidents-decided-not-to-run-for-a-second-term"> <img loading="lazy" 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.ibanet.org/article/465431E6-8846-4A89-BA0A-6A8B85E5ED1D" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">International Bar Association - The pardon: politics or mercy?</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/230972486.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">CORE - Nature and Limits of the Pardoning Power</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1038&context=crps" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Murray State's Digital Commons - The Nature and Extent of Presidential Pardon Power: An Analysis in Light of Recent Political Developmentsin Light of Recent Political Developments</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S2-C1-3-1/ALDE_00013316/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Constitution Annotated - Overview of Pardon Power</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=9065&context=penn_law_review" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">University of Pennsylvania Scholarship - The Effect of a Pardon</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written and fact-checked by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-13T00:00:00CST" >Nov 13, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/pardon/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Key People: </dt> <dd><a href="/biography/Gerald-Ford" topicid="213206">Gerald Ford</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Leo-Frank" topicid="2030933">Leo Frank</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/John-Peter-Altgeld" topicid="17695">John Peter Altgeld</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Topics: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/punishment" topicid="483544">punishment</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/criminal-procedure" topicid="143147">criminal procedure</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/full-pardon" topicid="221846">full pardon</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/conditional-pardon" topicid="131522">conditional pardon</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/neck-verse" topicid="407703">neck verse</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/pardon"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/443418/37b2b02c38785245cfc6025371ac2387" rel="nofollow">Imprisoned Belarus activist Maria Kolesnikova is considering asking for a pardon, her father says</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 13, 2024, 10:27 AM ET (AP) </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref119062"></span>pardon</strong>, in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/law" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">law</a>, release from guilt or <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="remission" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/remission" data-type="EB">remission</a> of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/punishment" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">punishment</a>. In <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/criminal-law" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">criminal law</a> the power of pardon is generally exercised by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/chief-executive-officer" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">chief executive officer</a> of the state. Pardons may also be granted by a legislative body, often through an act of indemnity, anticipatory or retrospective, for things done in the public interest that are illegal.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">A pardon may be full or <span id="ref119063"></span>conditional. It is conditional when its effectiveness depends on fulfillment of a condition by the offender, usually a lesser punishment, as in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/commutation-law" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">commutation</a> of the death <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/sentence-law" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">sentence</a>.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The effect of a <span id="ref119064"></span>full pardon is unclear in some jurisdictions. In <span id="ref119065"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">England</a> it is said that a full pardon clears the person from all <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="infamy" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/infamy" data-type="EB">infamy</a>, removing all disqualifications and other obloquy, so that a pardoned person may take action for defamation against anyone who thereafter refers to him or her as a convict. In the <span id="ref119066"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">United States</a> the matter is much less clear, although the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Supreme-Court-of-the-United-States" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Supreme Court</a> has held that a pardon blots out guilt and makes the offender “as innocent as if he had never committed the offense.” Some U.S. states have held that a pardon does not remove the disqualification from holding public office and that a pardoned offender may still be refused a license to engage in a business or profession. The difficulty stems from lack of differentiation between pardons granted for reasons of <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="clemency" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clemency" data-type="MW">clemency</a> and those granted from a belief in the accused’s innocence. Continental European and Latin American countries generally have detailed statutory provisions governing the law of pardon.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span> <span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/contributor/Patricia-Bauer/3520770">Patricia Bauer</a>.</span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":443418,"pageLength":255,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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