commutation of sentence

commutation of sentence in criminal law, reduction of a sentence for a criminal act by action of the executive head of the government. Like pardon , commutation of sentence is a matter of grace, not of right; it is distinguished from pardon, however, in that the conviction of crime is not nullified. The commutation, hence, may be granted on condition that the criminal observe certain restrictions for the balance of his original sentence. Many states have statutes providing for commutation of sentence as a reward for good conduct during imprisonment. Once earned, the commutation becomes a matter of right and may be enforced by court action.

com·mu·ta·tion / ˌkämyəˈtāshən/ • n. 1. action or the process of commuting a judicial sentence. ∎  the conversion of a legal obligation or entitlement into another form, e.g., the replacement of an annuity or series of payments by a single payment. 2. the process of commutating an electric current. 3. Math. the property of having a commutative relation.