Bankruptcy law makes possible the financial rehabilitation of bankrupt individuals by discharging them from the burden of past debts upon the equitable distribution of their assets among their creditors. One of the primary purposes of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. B-3 (the “BIA”) is to give honest but unfortunate debtors a fresh start in circumstances where it is prudent to forgive the debt or liability that resulted from inadvertence, negligence, or incompetence.