Justice committee  Yes, there are ombudsmen in all the provinces. In Quebec, it's called the "protecteur du citoyen". They have them in all the provinces, except Prince Edward Island and the Yukon.

Justice committee  That definitely happens. The research findings are clear: increasingly, not only the young population, but also the adult population—

Justice committee  It happens across Canada, sir, not just in New Brunswick.

Justice committee  I work right across Canada; I have colleagues across Canada. I'm not just a child advocate, but also an ombudsman, or "protecteur du citoyen". My field unfortunately extends from the cradle to the grave. But, since there is a shortage of mental health services—that was clearly established by Mr.

Justice committee  Yes, and the judges listened to us when we intervened. Yes, absolutely, lawyers from my office and myself have appeared in youth courts, in particular, to make that kind of recommendation.

Justice committee  It's a criminal court. It's a pilot project funded by the Department of Justice. I spent half a day there and I met the judge, the defence lawyers, the Crown prosecutors, social workers and other caseworkers in that court.

Justice committee  Certainly I would have. We work on the basis of the convention. Canada has ratified the convention.

Justice committee  Yes, yes, absolutely.

Justice committee  I couldn't give an estimate. I think that's too hard for me to do, and I'm not that kind of researcher. But I do want to confirm for the chair, there were consultations. I was there. Mr. Bilodeau, who was there as well, was facilitating, so I'm clear on those two. On the third point, someone in my office spoke to a Justice Canada official two days ago, and it was confirmed to him that there is a report, but it has not been published or been made public.

Justice committee  My opinion would be a minimum of ten years, followed by consultations, analysis of statistics to see what kinds of outcomes we see from the application of this bill. I would also argue that many parts of the Youth Criminal Justice Act are really not being used effectively across the country.

Justice committee  I attended the meeting that was organized in Moncton. Mr. Nicholson went across Canada with the consultant who was hired, Mr. Bilodeau. I only attended one meeting. I must say I've nevertheless conducted consultations with other child advocates across Canada, including Ms. Godin from the Commission des droits de la personne du Québec, and also with my colleagues from the other provinces.

Justice committee  No, certainly not mine. Based on what I heard from most of my colleagues, even though it was not the same thing across Canada, this doesn't take into account what was said by the vast majority of participants who attended the Moncton consultation.

Justice committee  I want to be clear: Mr. Bilodeau acted as a facilitator at the consultation sessions. I'm not sure whether he wrote the report, but I was told by a very good source at the Department of Justice that there was a report in the department.

Justice committee  To my knowledge, there is a report, but I haven't seen it.

Justice committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think I'll start with the last question and then I'll forget the first question, I'm sure. I've had the opportunity to visit the Youth Mental Health Court, which is right here in Ottawa. I strongly recommend it to members of the committee, because its approach is totally different.