Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm going to ask a few questions.
I understand the resource issue, but for me, the number of impaired driving charges that are laid, the difficulty with the whole process.... I've been in law enforcement. I've arrested people for impaired driving. I've had to wait for an RCMP officer to show up because I didn't have the roadside Breathalyzer device. All of that happened. It's several hours from the time that happens until this process leads to the evidence to lay a charge, and so on. We don't need to get into those details.
I'm just wondering if, rather than adding more resources, there's something we can do in the legislation to make the laying of the charge and getting a conviction more efficient. I'd be curious to hear anything about that from any of you.
I have another question. I'll just put both questions out there.
From the perspective of post-MVA, there's obviously the issue that when there's been a collision and there's been serious bodily harm.... We know you have to have reasonable and probable grounds to ask for a sample when you have people who are seriously injured. Sometimes that's a loophole--the officer can't get the reasonable and probable grounds to get a blood sample or a breath sample.
I also know of situations where people who were experienced enough have actually left the scene of an accident and proceeded to a drinking establishment to start drinking to destroy evidence that they were impaired at the time.
I'm just wondering if you could speak to some of those things.
I think those are technical loopholes that need to be closed up in the legislation. Obviously we have the presumption of innocence and some other charter rights. I'm wondering if there's anything you could advise this committee about that might tighten up some of that legislative framework, so those loopholes aren't so available, without jeopardizing or risking people's rights to a fair trial.