Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen members of the committee, my name is Marc Sauvé and I am the director of Research Services and Legislation with the Barreau du Québec. For the Barreau's appearance before this noble assembly, I am accompanied by Mr. Georges Azzaria, a professor at Laval University, and Mr. Pierre-Emmanuel Moyse, who teaches at McGill University. They are experts in the field and you will be able to ask them any questions you may have.
The Barreau's position on Bill C-32 was expressed in a letter from the president of the Barreau du Quebec addressed to Ministers Tony Clement and James Moore on October
The Barreau is of the view that the debate should focus on the principles that should apply to all legislation. However, the Barreau cannot claim that there is a consensus in the legal community regarding its position on Bill C-32, for two reasons. The first of these is the wide diversity of interests at stake, as well as the lack of a common, shared vision of what a copyright act should be.
If I may, I would like to focus on two points: the excessive complexity of the legislation, which encourages referral to the courts, and the bill's inconsistency with international law.
To address the first point, I would like to turn it over to Professor Moyse.