Pardon

Amnesty () is defined as "A pardon extended by a government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power officially forgiving certain classes of people who are subject to trial but have not yet been convicted." Though the term "general pardon" has a similar definition, an amnesty constitutes more than a pardon, in so much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the offense. An amnesty law is any law that retroactively exempts a select group of people, usually military leaders and government leaders, from criminal liability for crimes committe

A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the jurisdiction.

thumb|Ancient statue of Clementia in the Vatican Museums#Museo Chiaramonti|Museo Chiaramonti

substitution of a lesser penalty for that given after a conviction for a crime

mitigating principles in traditional Chinese law

law that provides immunity for past crimes