Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Far be it for me to become involved in the debate; it's not my role. But just in terms of the mechanics of how this sort of thing is done, it would depend on the nature of the amendment.
The legislative services branch of the justice department normally drafts the legislation and it would normally draft government amendments. The way that normally happens is that a policy decision is made—and in this case, we're talking about government legislation, obviously—which then gives clear policy direction to the drafters, who then, with experts like Lieutenant-Colonel Penny and me, have to sit down and figure out how to make the actual amendment or the actual provision work in conformity with the treaty, in conformity with the charter, Canadian criminal law, and whatever other parameters there might be.
From the justice department's standpoint, I think the requirement is more of a practical one. We need clear policy direction and then time to look at how to make it fit. How long that takes would depend on the nature of the amendment.