Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I see the judicial advisory process as being important to have balance. I'd suggest that with the addition of a police officer or a representative of law enforcement on the committee, you're helping bring balance to it.
Certainly this has been an evolving process. I think we need to recognize that. We're acting as if this is a radical change without recognizing the fact that there have been numerous changes before, whether it was when Brian Mulroney and his Minister of Justice initiated this in 1988, or with the evolution that came in 1991. This is just another step to make sure we maintain that balance. I would be concerned that without having law enforcement there, we have a very significant voice in the judicial system not recognized.
When you look at a courtroom, when you look at the whole judicial process, there are lawyers, there are judges, and there are certainly police officers. That's why the comparisons with police officers don't wash, because union representatives, teachers, or any other group that has been mentioned around this committee aren't involved in the judicial process, and police officers are. That's why I think they make a very valued contribution.
My question is related on a few fronts. There have been suggestions that this is going to take away from judicial independence, that it's going to harm the process. The question I have is, are we saying that judges weren't qualified prior to 1988? If this change is happening today and it's somehow going to affect the process, what happened prior to 1988? What happened prior to 1991, when these changes were happening? It's contradictory to make the suggestion that somehow well-intentioned representatives from law enforcement are going to harm judicial independence.
Perhaps I could get a quick comment on that from Mr. Cannavino, and then I'll have a follow-up comment to make as well.