pardon means forgiveness or acquittal of an error or a penalty that was applied to someone else. Pardon is the end of the fulfillment of a sentence.
In Criminal Law, pardon is a type of benefit that extinguishes the custodial sentence. When pardon is granted, the penalty is forgiven and stop existing. The indult is a collective benefit and is granted by a decree of the President of the Republic.
To receive the pardon, some requirements must be met, such as: being in prison for a time proportional to the penalty, having served at least two-fifths of the sentence in a closed or semi-open regime, in addition to good behavior.
There may also be other requirements that facilitate the granting of the benefit, such as having some illnesses or disabilities or having children under the age of fourteen (for women).
The main synonyms for pardon are: forgiveness, indulgence, mercy, absolution and forgiveness.
See more about the meaning of Remission.
Christmas pardon
The expression "Christmas pardon" refers to the granting of collective pardons that usually take place at the end of the year. The Christmas pardon extinguishes the prisoner's penalty and
not to be confused with temporary exit of prisoners allowed during the Christmas period.The Christmas pardon is granted by the President of the Republic, while the temporary release is given by the judge of the execution court.
Difference between pardon, grace and amnesty
Pardon and grace are two similar benefits and with same penalty extinction function. The difference between them is that a pardon is a collective benefit, given to a certain group of people and granted spontaneously. The grace is granted individually and must be requested by the applicant.
Amnesty is a benefit that forgives the commission of a criminal offense, but that does not exclude civil liability for damages that have been caused. in general amnesty is granted to political crimes, but can also be applied for other types of criminal offences.
See more about the meanings of Grace and Amnesty.