Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Although new on this committee, it was a quick process of learning through the last couple of days with all the materials we've been going through. With that, understanding where we're at right now is simply a comparison between the tribunal and the courts.
Please correct me if I'm wrong when I pose the question. I'm hearing that the decision by a tribunal is, in fact, final. There is no appeal to the courts.
Having said that, in the process, there is an opportunity to have mechanisms to ensure that the appellants are able to have their day with respect to some of the things they're trying to accomplish. What I mean by that is that there are mechanisms, such as mediation, before the process unfolds with respect to what the tribunal has to deliberate versus a court. A court would be more like an arbitration, where there are no mechanisms in place to mediate. It's just simply a decision that's made, and that's final.
With that, we've heard that a court of law is more costly to the appellant. We've heard that it takes more time. It can be a lot more time. It can be years. We've heard that the experience on the issues is more apparent with a tribunal versus a court. We've heard that procedural fairness with respect to a tribunal versus a court, again, is apparent.
Here is one question I have. In a tribunal versus a court of law, can it actually be dragged on even further, over and above the process, by the defendant in a court of law? Can it be dragged on and on over time, especially if it's AI, and just be in there for years if not decades, based on the wishes of one of the parties?