I don't think so. I don't think it should be up to the crown attorneys or the judges to make an assessment on how this money is going to be spent. I think that is going beyond their discretion.
There is a large portion of the funds going to victim services today. That's why I think there has to be a mandatory piece of legislation in the Criminal Code that in fact tells them that this is what they have to do. It could really get abused as well by the perception of the crown or judges. Not everybody feels the same. When this bill first came about, it was really a shock to the Canadian criminal justice system that, “My gosh, victims are going to be allowed to make victim impact statements, and now we're going to have to levy a fine surcharge?”
You have to remember, that was 24 years ago. Today, it is much different, and there has been a lot more education done for judges as well as crown attorneys in having a better concept of what crime victimization does and the importance of having victims’ representations, and seeking a balance between the services for offenders, for instance, the rehabilitation of offenders.... I have no idea for sure how much money goes into that. There is no rehabilitation money for victims of crime. I don't know if I'll ever see that in my day, but this is a step in the right direction.