Again, I'm not intimately familiar with Mr. Abdelrazik's history or his record, etc., but I would imagine he could well speak to the foreign relations committee about this UN regime of regulations and no-fly lists and what it did to him and how he disagrees with it, and he might urge the committee to examine that matter, as Canada is a member state of the United Nations.
In other words, what this indicates is that there may be broader issues that Mr. Abdelrazik or this committee might want to pursue that don't go directly to the issues that are before the court relative to his inability to get back to Canada. There could be other issues in which he has an interest, and the committee has an interest, and the committee may want to pursue with Mr. Abdelrazik and with others and for which reason the committee wants to speak to him. How you do that obviously is the committee's business. But it's the actual issues before the court.
I should add that I made the suggestion about how, if I was counsel to Mr. Abdelrazik, I would advise him he ought not to do that, because the courts don't like parties before them going elsewhere and making public arguments about the case, as if in that manner they're going to somehow influence the outcome of the court case. That shows a disrespect for the courts. Of course, what's said to a committee is not ever before the court, because it's parliamentary privilege. But all the same, if it gets into the public domain and it's out there being discussed, maybe the other counsel might object or make the argument that this is an inappropriate use of the parliamentary process to be arguing that case.
The more important consideration is the committee. What can the committee say in view of the sub judice rule. The sub judice rule, as you know, is a voluntary rule of the House where its members are asked to not comment in debates in the House or debates in committee on matters that are before the courts. It's with that rule in mind that I would think the committee might want to avoid going into those issues that for Mr. Abdelrazik are before the courts, but there may be broader issues.