Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
My thanks also to our witnesses for being with us today.
In a reply you gave earlier, you said that emphasis should be put on prevention. I understand the premise that we want to invest in education and awareness. I think that we all agree on that.
A Department of Justice study mentions that the courts have no particular approach in FASD-related cases. You also said that there are other issues related to mental health. With autism, or other disorders of that kind, the courts have no real approach either. The study continues: “There was no consistent approach to responding to offenders or victims with FASD mentioned in the case law.” It also says that, in most cases, it was not incorporated or considered in the judicial decision-making.
Do courts have difficulty in handling all the cases where there are mental health issues? Could you tell me more about that?