Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is a pleasure to welcome the commissioner. I am extremely pleased, not to say euphoric, to have heard your testimony, because I was a bit — and I say this with all due respect — disappointed by the previous witness.
I believe that our colleague, Mr. Godin's, bill, is essential in order to send a clear message. It will help prepare the next generation of jurists by informing them of the rules of the game. In our legal system, people do not compete for seats on the Supreme Court, they are appointed. Partisan considerations might sometimes be taken into account, but there is no doubt that the Supreme Court is composed of highly skilled justices. Future members of the judiciary will know that the knowledge of our two official languages will be one of the factors used to assess competency. That is extremely important.
I was somewhat surprised. A colleague whose name I will not mention asked a question earlier that might be of concern to you in your role of commissioner. He asked the justice whether, to his knowledge, complaints had already been filed concerning the use of French before the Supreme Court. With all due respect to the previous witness and his former position, he did not seem to take the matter very seriously.
As the commissioner, are you able to tell us of any representations that were made to you by members of the legal community, regarding the lack of linguistic ability of some justices? I understand that this is a sensitive area, but have you already received complaints in that regard?