With all due respect, Your Honour, that is not what I meant by my question.
I have a few years of experience. Of course I do not deny your own experience. However I think that when a judge is appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada—I'm thinking of Justice Lebel, for example, and all the judges who are there—they are appointed because they are very competent. I do not know any judges who have been appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada who are not competent. Perhaps you know some, but I personally could not know of any as I have only being there once. Even though I am aware of all the rulings.
Competency is the first criteria. That is true. But on top of that requirement, we're also asking to be understood by the judges who listen to us. Furthermore, the issue is not the same for my client. My client has no choice. Perhaps the situation is different in the lower courts. However, at the Supreme Court of Canada, everyone is competent, I think, with no exception. I therefore think that the ability to speak the French language or to understand the French language is a requirement that should be included.