Tips for Completing your Record Suspension Application



- What are the important tips that you need to follow to successfully complete your Record Suspension Application in Canada?

- That’s what I’m going to cover in this article.

- Every year, the Parole Board returns or rejects a huge number of Record Suspensions in Canada because of mistakes and missing or incomplete information.

- Mistakes will cost you time and, in some cases, rejection.

- Ultimately, your life will be on hold.

- The good news is that this problem is avoidable.

- Now, the key to getting your Pardon is to submit a properly prepared Record Suspension Application.

- By far the hardest part of the Record Suspension Application in Canada is to properly answer the Measurable Benefit / Sustained Rehabilitation Form.

- There are 3 questions in this Form.  

- And you need to answer those questions in a way that will get your Record Suspension approved by the Parole Board of Canada.

- Here are the 3 questions:

- Question #1: “Clearly indicate how a record suspension would provide you with a measurable benefit and how it would sustain your rehabilitation into society as a law-abiding citizen.

- Question #2: “Describe all positive changes you have already made to improve your situation since your conviction.”

- And Question #3:, “Describe the circumstances and how and why EACH of the offences was committed. In other words, describe the Who, What, When, Where and How.

- Here are tips to properly answer these questions.



Tip #1 - Don’t challenge your conviction



- The purpose of a Record Suspension in Canada, is to give you a new opportunity in life by removing the roadblocks associated with your criminal record.

- When you challenge the validity of your conviction, what you are doing is challenging one of the core principles of a Pardon, which is accepting responsibility for your conviction.

- If you believe you were wrongly convicted, the Record Suspension Application is not the place to challenge your conviction.  

- Do not dispute your charge in your Record Suspension Application.  

- Make sure your answers show that you accept responsibility for your conviction.



Tip #2 - Don’t say, “you can’t remember”



- By the time you prepare your Record Suspension Application in Canada, many years will have passed since your conviction.

- Your memory about the specifics of your conviction may have faded over time.

- And, confounding the memory problem, is the fact that you may not want to relive what was undoubtedly a very difficult time in your life.

- But you don’t have a choice.

- To properly answer the Measurable Benefit / Sustained Rehabilitation Form, you have to refresh your memory in order to accurately recall the who, what, when, where, and how regarding your conviction.

- Saying “you can’t remember” will lead to rejection.



Tip #3 - Write answers with depth



- To properly prepare a successful Record Suspension Application in Canada, you need to provide depth to your answers.

- In other words, you need to write and elaborate in a way which will convey to the Parole of Canada meaningful answers to the Measurable Benefit / Sustained Rehabilitation Form questions.

- Take your time.  

- Write multiple drafts.

- And when reading your answers, ask yourself, are you truly providing the very best, in-depth answer possible?

- If not, then do another rewrite.

- There is a lot at stake with your answers, so take the time to get them right.



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