amnesty

Act of state granted by a government by which pardon of certain past offences is accorded . This may be in the form of the release of political prisoners under a general pardon, or of the release of a person or group of people from criminal liability for a particular action. In addition, there are occasional amnesties for those who surrender firearms or other items that they hold illegally.

An amnesty is generally given in the case of whole sections of the community who have been guilty of an offence against the state, and it completely obliterates the offence whether granted before or after conviction. Amnesties, granted either by the sovereign or by act of Parliament, are sometimes general, but more often have certain exceptions made; for example, those responsible for his father's execution were excepted from the amnesty granted on the accession of Charles II. The last amnesty granted in Britain was in 1747 and was to those who had participated in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745.

Throughout history amnesties have frequently been used by governments (especially newly established regimes) to win popular support. For example, following the death of Franco in 1975, the new Spanish regime, headed by King Juan Carlos, declared a widespread amnesty. Amnesties have also been common following civil wars as a means of healing the bitter divisions caused by such conflicts.