The federal government plans to do away with "rubber-stamped" pardons after learning that convicted sex predator and former junior-hockey coach Graham James was granted one in 2007.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews made the announcement on Monday, saying the National Parole Board needs guidance in issuing such decisions.

"I think there needs to be a little more direction given to the Board in terms of what they can consider overall, and that these things should not just be rubber-stamped," Toews said. "We're taking a look at the legislation to see how we can consider amending (it)."

Toews said he was shocked to hear that James was granted a pardon, years after he was convicted of sexually assaulting two teenaged hockey players while he was their coach. One of his victims was Sheldon Kennedy, who went on to play in the National Hockey League.

James, whose current location is unknown, was convicted in 1997 and sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.

News of his pardon broke Sunday, after The Canadian Press learned that a man who had also allegedly been abused by James contacted police in Winnipeg.

Most convicted criminals can apply for a pardon either three or five years after serving their sentence, depending on the seriousness of their crime. And the parole board can reject applications for a pardon if the ex-convict failed to adhere to good behaviour after re-entering society.

Nearly 15,000 Canadians were awarded a pardon in 2006-07, according to government records. About 100 were refused.

"I'm actually quite concerned about certain types of sex offenders getting pardons, especially pedophiles," Toews said. "In my opinion and in my experience, pedophiles are not easily cured."

The Prime Minister's parliamentary secretary, Pierre Poilievre, said Stephen Harper has asked Toews "to look into some solutions to ensure that these kinds of decisions don't happen again," but he didn't specify what that may include.

MPs could ban pardons for sex crimes or make ex-convicts wait longer before applying in such cases, Toews suggested.

Although The National Parole Board doesn't release information about specific decisions, but it issued a statement explaining that pardons are not judged on the basis of the crime in question.

"The Criminal Records Act does not differentiate pardon applicants by the type of offence they have committed, nor does it allow the board to refuse to grant a person a pardon based on the nature of their crime," the statement reads.

"A pardon is not meant to erase or excuse a criminal act. A pardon means that the record of the conviction is kept separate and apart from other criminal records."

Ottawa trial lawyer Lawrence Greenspon defended the current rules, saying no changes were needed.

"There's nothing that's gone wrong here," he said. "Thousands and thousands of people have been getting pardons for years without any difficulty. There's no need to put forward a new law to satisfy the public outcry that one individual may have gotten a pardon."

"It saddens me that the government of the day constantly is knee-jerk to legislate when there's a high-profile case," Greenspon said. "That's just ridiculous."

But news of James' pardon has angered many Canadians, including victims' rights groups and the Prime Minister's Office.

Harper's spokesperson Dimitri Soudas described it as "deeply troubling and gravely disturbing," and said the parole board should explain its decision.

Ron Jette, a member of the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Network, said he was "astounded" that the board had pardoned a convicted sex offender.

"I could hardly believe that they would do something like that," he said.

Former NHL-er Theoren Fleury, who has accused James of molesting him as a youth and has filed a complaint with Winnipeg police, said he was concerned and disappointed when he heard about the pardon.

"I went through all the gamut of emotions," he said on CTV's Power Play. "But after thinking about it for a long time, I really look at this as a great opportunity for us to finally take a look at sexual abuse and pedophiles and really try and get something done that's productive."

An ex-convict's criminal record is not erased by a pardon, but it can allow him or her to travel and find work abroad by removing a conviction from a police database.

The Canadian Hockey Association has barred James from coaching for life. However, from 2001 to 2003, he coached hockey in Spain, including the national team -- with his Spanish employers fully aware of his Canadian police record.

With files from The Canadian Press