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OTTAWA • The RCMP is breaching privacy law by holding onto the personal information of Canadians who have been convicted of a crime even after they have been pardoned, according to an audit by federal Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart.

Even though “people have a right to get on with their lives, information about their past can continue to be shared,” writes Ms. Stoddart in the report released Thursday.

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The issue of questionable RCMP record-keeping comes as the Conservatives prepare to shred 10 years worth of records related to the federal long-gun registry — a process made difficult by the fact that duplicates of the records are buried deep within RCMP databases.

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“The police always believe it to be in their interest to have as much information about citizens as possible … not only law-abiding gun owners but also individuals who have been cleared of crimes,” said Solomon Friedman, a criminal defence lawyer and frequent commentator on firearms issues.