Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all the witnesses for appearing today.
I'm going to limit my questions to Mr. Trudell. I have some concerns and questions regarding some of your comments, specifically on the amendments to the Criminal Code that will treat as first-degree murder any homicide that is committed as a result of organized crime or gang activity.
I specifically took careful notes during your opening comments when you called it labelling and said that labelling of such homicides as first-degree murder would do nothing. I'm confused by that.
I was a practising lawyer until my election. I'm not a criminal lawyer, but I have friends who are, and I talk to prosecutors. They tell me that for a first-degree murder charge, especially one that's being tried before a jury, the most difficult part of proving the offence is on the planning or the deliberate part of it. Would you agree with that, especially for a jury that has trouble understanding what is actually inside the mind of the accused?