Thank you.
Thank you both for participating in our meeting. It's too bad, Mr. Damer, because we would have liked to hear your full speech. We hope to make that up through our questions.
My questions are fairly practical. After all, that is the goal of this exercise by the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. We really want to see how part XVII of the Criminal Code is applied on a daily basis to those who work in the field. This is especially important for accused persons who are protected by that section.
What have the members of your association said about this practice on a day-to-day basis? What is the day-to-day experience? I understand that there are preliminary inquiries and trials. Some people have suggested that perhaps these protections should be extended to bail hearings, to people released on bail.
I would like to hear both of you answer, if the technical problem with Mr. Damer is resolved. I would also like to get an idea of how the minority groups experience this in the provinces, all minorities, that is.