FYI, the Parole Board of Canada is still not accepting phone calls.... :(....They are accepting paperwork - but have not processed any new applications since March. I am receiving old applications updates, but nothing for my new applications..
Parole Board of Canada
@Michelle maybe its "volume" but I have been receiving granted pardons throughout covid-19, including 2 yesterday.
I would say maybe average 1-2 per week. I have not received any "merits letters" though. Also,pardons I am getting are sometimes 13 and 14 months vs the previous 12 month period. The "fast ones" have stopped. All the ones I have gotten are from 2019.
They are not answering the phone still, but are responding to emails.
So they are coming out, anyone you have at the 13-14 month mark should be arriving.
I cannot really comment on much on this topic here since the vast majority of our people are not interested in pardons and they do not see much benefit in obtaining one. It is my understanding that they are taking longer to get approved though. A lot of them will never qualify for a pardon because they keep getting charged with offences every few years/having continual police contact but do not get new convictions.
@Michelle 1 pardon today.
- Granted July 21 2020
-Sent to PBC on May 22 2019
-Merits letter received on June 17 2019
Hopefully you can compare that timeline and you may have a couple of Pardons coming in soon too.
@Michelle you will probably be the most interested. Parole Board stuff. I had a couple of appeals come through granted that were really tough ones. One where the client killed the passenger of his car and the PBC didn't want to bring the "administration of justice into disrepute".
Also as i mentioned before I was getting pardons the whole time but no merits letters, but now I have gotten about 10 in the last week and a half.
I also got a pardon that wasn't mine. Frustrating.
Have you tried to call them? What is your experience with them lately?
Hi John, I had one on appeal too, and I am hoping that they will not close the file, as I was not able to meet with my client as she was too scared to travel with COVID..I asked for an extension, but have not hear anything back..I have been sending them new applications, and they are accepting and signing for them..however, have not received any confirmation letters, and my clients have been advising that no payments are going through on credit cards. Interesting enough, I have received Pardons granted for old applications. I have not been able to get through on phone as of Wednesday. I sent a few emails, and the reply is the same, and response is generic..no answers to direct questions...
@Michelle I usually fax in the extension request and its granted no problem. For appeals where they cannot travel, I usually just send them a form to sign that gives me authorization to respond on their behalf. I write up the appeal, and then email them the draft. Once approved, I then fax the final response. Is that similar to your method?