Mr. Chair, you would understand too, and I hope Maître Valois doesn't tell anybody in Montreal that I'm saying this, but it has to be said that the refugee law office in Toronto sets the standard. They have budgetary struggles and limitations as well, but they are the backbone in every major legal intervention, whether at the Supreme Court, the Federal Court, or the Federal Court of Appeal.
They have been crucial in providing counsel and expertise that has enabled my group, and also other groups, to make successful constitutional challenges that have had an impact on the lives of thousands of refugee claimants, thousands of vulnerable people. This has also enabled the creation of more efficient, consistent standards for applying refugee law in Canada. We can give many examples if there are questions about that.
I have been told by the chief justice of the Federal Court that it would be okay to tell you today that the Federal Court has also noticed a major impact on the differential legal aid rates. We had a discussion with the chief justice, and when I say “we”, I mean the Barreau du Québec. That's another hat I wear as a member of the Quebec bar's immigration committee. We had discussion with the chief justice about the impact.
Over the years, I can tell you that many Federal Court judges have told many of us that they notice a big difference in the quality of representation, which we all believe very much has to do with the fact that Quebec lawyers are struggling to work on tariffs that are greatly inferior to what our Ontario colleagues are paid.
They say that you get what you pay for, and objectively speaking, there's a study, which the Chief Justice cited to me, by an academic at the University of Toronto indicating that leave grant rates are far lower in Quebec. When I say “leave grant rates”, I am referring to our having to ask the Federal Court for permission to hold a hearing when we want to appeal a refugee decision. Over the years, we've been able to document that the success rate in Quebec is far inferior to what it is in Ontario.
Now I would like to pass the microphone to my colleague, Maître Stéphanie Valois.