OTTAWA, June 16 (UPI) -- Canada is considering legislation that would deny pardons to violent offenders, including murderers and some sex offenders, observers say.
A bill introduced in May would end what the government has called a "rubber stamp" for pardon applications, CTV News reported Wednesday.
The majority of convicts applying for a pardon are granted one. In 2009, only 800 of 40,000 pardon applications were rejected, CTV said.
The bill, presently stalled in parliament, was introduced after public outrage at the pardon granted to convicted sex offender Graham James in 2007.
James had been convicted of sexual assault against two teenage hockey players on a team he coached.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said earlier this year the upcoming pardon eligibility of schoolgirl killer Karla Homolka has accelerated the proposed reforms to the pardons system.
Homolka received a 12-year manslaughter sentence after her conviction in the 1991 rape-murders of teens Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French.
Her release from jail in 2005 sparked nationwide outrage. She will be eligible to apply for a pardon July 5.
In Canada, a pardon does not erase a criminal record but makes it easier for someone to get a job or travel abroad.
Convicted felons have to wait either three or five years after completing their sentence to apply for a pardon, depending on the severity of the crime, CTV said.
