Pardoned

Pardoned is the past participle of pardon and an adjective used to describe someone who has been granted a pardon by a competent authority, such as a head of state, governor, or court. A pardon is a formal act of clemency that forgives a crime and may relieve penalties.

In different legal systems, pardons vary in effect. Some pardons erase or seal criminal records, restore civil rights, and nullify penalties; others merely commute the sentence or forgive the crime without reversing all consequences. Pardons can be unconditional or conditional on terms such as good conduct or completion of obligations. They do not necessarily acknowledge innocence; in some jurisdictions a pardon may be granted even after a conviction to acknowledge mercy rather than a finding of innocence.

Pardons are distinct from amnesty (forgiveness of groups or categories of offenses) and from commutation (reduction of a sentence without forgiving the offense). The process is typically discretionary and exercised by a sovereign or chief executive body, though some jurisdictions require legislative approval. The term derives from Old French pardonner, from Latin perdonare meaning to forgive.