Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to thank our witnesses this afternoon. You shed significant light on the issue of conditional sentences.
Having personally practised criminal law for almost 25 years—from 1996 until I was elected in 2004—arguing cases involving conditional sentences in Aboriginal communities, because my riding is in northern Quebec. So I know Aboriginal communities as well.
I am fascinated by one thing. Actually, you are in a way repeating what we've already heard, because you are not the first witnesses to have appeared before us. So, our questions may seem rather pointed. Actually mine will be. My question is for the representatives from the Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto.
I read your brief, where you state that you have five specific concerns with the proposed bill. One of them is of great interest to me. You state "In many cases it shifts important sentencing decisions from the judge to the Crown prosecutor".
That is not something I had heard up until now, and I'd like you to explain what you mean by that.
I'd also like to know if that applies to Quebec, which would avoid me having to ask the same question of the members of the Barreau du Québec, and in Aboriginal communities that are further away from large urban centres. You seem to be located in the heart of a big city, like Toronto or Montreal, despite the fact that there are small communities elsewhere.
Could you explain to me what you mean by "it shifts important sentencing decisions from the judge to the Crown prosecutor"?