Mr. Chair, this amendment arises out of a concern that victim impact statements could now include opinions on sentence. This amendment would remove the possibility that opinions could be included in victim impact statements.
It is consistent with the concerns expressed by the Canadian Bar Association in their recommendation six. Rest assured there would still be an opportunity for victims to have input into the sentence, but this would be in the manner that they do now, and that's by providing relevant information in a pre-sentence report.
While opinions, in our view and in the view of the Canadian Bar Association, do not belong in the victim impact statement, a victim still would not be completely precluded from having input under the procedures that presently exist.
The difficulty with allowing a victim impact statement to include an opinion is that it runs contrary to the legitimate objectives of sentencing, which rely on a careful analysis of factors, including proportionality, aggravating and mitigating factors.
That's the amendment and the rationale behind it. As I indicated, it is consistent with the testimony that we heard from the Canadian Bar Association.